Making the playoffs was always one of the goals Ben Johnson had in mind for this season. Others may have thought he was aiming for an improved record, hoping to build the confidence of his players. That isn't how the new Chicago Bears head coach is wired. He stated from the outset that his goal was to win and win now. The Bears have reached 9-3, taking control of the #1 seed in the NFC and the top spot in the division. Johnson isn't concerned about either fact at the moment. He's only focused on the next game, which is a big one in Green Bay.
When asked about the Bears' current position, Johnson didn't want to hear it. He made it crystal clear that this team has accomplished nothing. They haven't officially made the playoffs. Until that changes, the winning record is meaningless. Over the course of his explanation, Johnson revealed how many wins it will likely take to cross the finish line.
“The job is not done,” Johnson said. “We haven’t accomplished anything yet. We’re at nine wins. I think this year, you’re probably going to have to get to 11 to make it in the tournament. That’s what we need to do. We’ve got to get there first. We’ve got to find a way to get there, and the only way to do that is to find a way to be 1-0 this week.”
Right now, there are four teams in the NFC with nine wins. Two others, the Packers and Eagles, have eight wins. This conference is loaded at the top, which means nine or even ten wins probably won't be enough to guarantee a postseason berth.
Ben Johnson knows the challenge in front of him.
Chicago has five more games on the schedule. They must win two of them to reach that 11-win mark. Only one of those five feels like it should be heavily in the Bears' favor. That will be against Cleveland next week. Outside of that, they must face Green Bay twice, San Francisco, and Detroit. The Packers are right behind the Bears in the divisional race. The 49ers are 9-4, and the Lions already crushed this team 52-21 in the last meeting. Finding that second victory won't be easy.
Ben Johnson understands this, which is why he has been clear about how little the Bears have actually accomplished. If they want proper respect, they need to earn it. Going into Green Bay and taking down their arch rivals would be as clear a message as you could send. We'll see if the Bears meet the challenge.
