On Sunday, the Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 33-27 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The win moves Chicago within one game of the NFC Playoffs as they are one spot behind the Arizona Cardinals for the seventh and final playoff spot. Every year there always seems to be one NFL team that gets December playoff magic where they win a few remaining games while other teams lose games they are expected to win. Unfortunately, that magic and the Bears have never crossed paths.

The Bears Haven't Had Luck on Their Side When They Needed It

There have been several moments over the last 30 years in which the Bears had to clinch a playoff spot with a win and another team's loss but haven't gotten the help they needed. The first instance came in 1995 when the Bears needed to beat the Eagles in the final game of the season while the Atlanta Falcons needed to lose to the 11-win San Francisco 49ers. Chicago did what they had to do as they beat the Eagles 20-14, but the 49ers blew a 21-10 lead to lose 28-27. The Falcons would clinch the final playoff spot with the win, as the Bears missed out on making the playoffs for the second consecutive season. https://youtu.be/jshYA5VUy3I 17 years later, Chicago again needed to win and receive help to clinch the final playoff spot. In their week 17 matchup against the Lions, the Bears would make the playoffs with a win and Green Bay Packers to beat the Vikings. The Bears would beat the four-win Lions 26-24 in the early game before getting to watch the Packers and Vikings. Although Green Bay already had won the NFC North Division, they could clinch a bye week with a win over the Vikings. Minnesota would win a 37-34 shootout as kicker Blair Walsh kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Bears missed out on the playoffs, and head coach Lovie Smith was fired the next day.

The Bears Have Not Capitalized When They Have Gotten Help

There have been several instances where the Bears' have gotten the help they needed but failed to capitalize. The worst situation of recent memory was in 2013 when the Bears had two weeks to clinch the NFC North Division title and were unable to do so. Heading into their Week 16 Sunday Night game against the Philadelphia Eagles, The Bears would clinch the division with a win along with a Lions and Packers' loss. Before the Sunday Night game, both the Packers and Lions lost their late-afternoon games as Detroit lost five-win New York Giants in overtime. The Packers would lose their game to the Steelers after a mental-mistake cost them a potential game-winning score. The Bears, with a win over the Eagles, would win the division. It would also lead to Chicago avoiding an elimination game against the Packers for the division the following week.

Chicago would squander their opportunity as they were blown out by the Eagles 54-11 and thoroughly embarrassed. The Bears would choke in their must-win game against the Packers, blowing a 28-27 lead in the final minute. Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers would connect with wide receiver Randall Cobb on a 48-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass on fourth down. Chicago would lose the game 33-28 and lose the division title to the Packers.

Five years earlier, the Bears blew another golden opportunity to make the playoffs, but in a less heartbreaking fashion. Heading into their week 17 game against the Houston Texans, the Bears could either win the division with a win and a Vikings' loss. They could also clinch the final NFC playoff spot with a win and Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss. Although the Bears would lead 10-0 early, they would end up losing 31-24. To make it worse, the Buccaneers would lose to the four-win Oakland Raiders. The Bears and Buccaneers' losses coupled with a Dallas Cowboys loss allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs. https://youtu.be/cEgWAz40EBI Heading into the final two weeks of the 2020 season, the Bears will need to do their part while getting added help. Chicago's next two games will be against the one-win Jacksonville Jaguars and a Green Bay Packers team that could rest their starters if the number one seed for the NFC Playoffs is wrapped up. The Cardinals have to either lose to the five-win 49ers or the Los Angeles Rams, who could be needing a win to clinch a division title and playoff home game. The last two weeks will be interesting to watch for Bears fans as they will not just have to watch the Bears, but the Cardinals' games also. The final week of the 2020 season could see the Bears catch a break they haven't got before to help them get into the playoffs. They could also squander a great opportunity that was there for the taking too.