The Chicago Bears benefitted from some good fortune on Sunday. It started with the Carolina Panthers losing once again, this time to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their record drops to 1-11, keeping them in sole possession of the NFL's worst record. That means the Bears control the #1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. It didn't stop there, though. Events also took place in Pittsburgh, where the Arizona Cardinals stunned the Steelers 24-10. That gives them three wins on the year, creating a two-game cushion from the #1 spot. Only one team remains a serious threat to Carolina's grip on that pick.
Another loss on Sunday pushed the New England Patriots to 2-10, their worst record in decades. Some struggle to believe this team is capable of winning another game. However, significant development may have opened a door of opportunity. Not only did Pittsburgh lose the game on Sunday, but they also lost starting quarterback Kenny Pickett to a high ankle sprain. He's expected to miss time, leaving the QB job in the hands of Mitch Trubisky. The former Bears starter hasn't looked great in limited action, throwing two TDs and two INTs with a 71.2 passer rating.
New England's defense has been playing some excellent football lately, allowing only 26 points total in their last three games. If their offense weren't so awful, this would be an easy chance at a win.
The Chicago Bears are one Patriots win away from cruise control.
Beating Pittsburgh is never easy, but New England has done it several times under Bill Belichick. If his offense can somehow muster even 14-17 points, their chances of pulling an upset are high. A third win would mean a two-game cushion between the Panthers and every other team in contention for the #1 pick. In other words, Carolina could actually win another game down the stretch and still remain in full control of that spot. That is how significant Pickett's injury could end up being.
ESPN projections give the Chicago Bears a 93% chance of landing one of the top two picks in the 2024 draft. That guarantees they will have their pick of one of the top quarterbacks or star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. GM Ryan Poles could reset the quarterback clock, give Justin Fields a second star-caliber weapon, or even trade down again with a QB-desperate team. It would mark only the sixth time in modern NFL history a team has owned the #1 pick two years in a row.
What makes the Bears different is they will have pulled it off without being the worst team in the league twice.
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