Here's How the Chicago Bears Can Still Make the Playoffs

The Chicago Bears are 5-6. This isn't the record they probably had planned when the season began. Nevertheless, this is where they're at. Backs to the wall and likely one more loss from being all but dead in the playoff race. Even so, it's never over until it's over. They still believe the window is open. If they can just settle themselves and play some of their best football down the stretch, it's possible for them to sneak their way in.

Obviously the prime route would be to win all their remaining games. Most NFL experts know that a 10-6 record typically gives you a decent chance of reaching the postseason. This means the Bears would have to sweep their remaining five games this season starting with a Thanksgiving rematch with the Detroit Lions. Then they would need to take down the Dallas Cowboys at home, go into Green Bay and beat the Packers, come back home to take down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and finally going into Minnesota to upset the Vikings.

That is a lot to ask, but this is the scenario they've allowed themselves to fall into. That said, it isn't totally impossible for them to get in at 9-7 too. According to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times, there is an elaborate way this can happen. It would involve winning all of their remaining games except the Chiefs one since they're an AFC team. Then they'd need the Vikings to lose four of their last five including the season finale. Philadelphia has to win out and so on.

It's a ton to ask for, but there it is.

Chicago Bears don't look like a team capable of a run

In all honesty, this is asking too much of the Bears. While they still have one of the top defenses in the league, they'd need a lot more than that to take down Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes in the space of a month. Points are required to beat good quarterbacks and the Bears offense is incapable of providing them. They've been bad all season long, looking totally lost at times. Penalties. Dropped passes. Terrible run blocking. Bad QB decision-making. The list goes on.

All of that would have to magically disappear in this coming stretch. Maybe a bit too much to ask for but then again stranger things have happened in this league. Either way, it would at least be fun if the Bears made it interesting. They also might get some serious reinforcements soon. Star defensive end Akiem Hicks could conceivably return for the Packers game, which would be a huge boost for the defense. Linebacker Danny Trevathan may also have a chance to return at some point as well.

It's probably wise not to get ones' hopes up, but optimism is never a bad thing.