New England Just Gave Chicago Bears An Early Christmas Present

It was a good afternoon for the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve. It started with the Carolina Panthers losing to the Green Bay Packers, ensuring they maintain a grip on the #1 pick spot in the 2024 draft. If they lose one of the two remaining games on the schedule, the odds are good Chicago ends up with the top pick for the second year in a row. The Bears then took care of their own business, beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 for their sixth victory of the season. Most felt that was the extent of the good news for the day.

Bears fans had no idea what was coming.

The biggest threat remaining to the Bears' hopes for the #1 pick is the New England Patriots. They have only one more win than Carolina and a similar strength of schedule. If they were to lose out, it's possible they might undercut Chicago for that coveted pick. Well, that is no longer a concern. In arguably the most stunning development of the weekend, the Patriots went into Miles High and took down the Denver Broncos for their fourth win. That gives the Panthers a two-game lead on them with two to play.

The Chicago Bears have to feel good about their chances now.

Only two straight wins by the Panthers can disrupt things from this point. If they lose to Jacksonville or Tampa Bay, the pick belongs to the Bears. Arizona may end up with the same record but they have a much stronger strength of schedule, which means Carolina wins the tiebreaker. New England was the only realistic threat if it came to a tie. That is now only possible if all three teams finish 4-13. Jacksonville has lost four straight against some tough opponents, so they'll likely come into that game next week desperate for a win. As for Tampa Bay, they're getting hot at the right time and might be playing for the division title in the season finale.

One more loss means the Chicago Bears will once again control the NFL draft. From there, the debate begins. Will Poles select a new quarterback this time, or will he be the first ever to trade the #1 pick twice? Plenty of people favor each side. Only the GM likely has an idea of what he plans to do. The pick isn't in his hands yet. Until then, he will remain focused on what to do with Matt Eberflus and Justin Fields. Still, he probably couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present.