It’s safe to say the Bears will have more fans Sunday than any time this season.This is because the playoff fates of several other NFC teams depend entirely on the Bears ending their nine-game losing streak against the Green Bay Packers.
The most obvious enjoyment for the Bears is elminating the Packers by beating them.
Beyond that, the Vikings are one of those NFC teams hoping for help from the Bears. Their game with the Lions is at noon, so if they upset the Lions then all the Vikings fans will have reason to watch the Bears-Packers.
The place outside of Chicago where the Bears might be the most popular is Seattle, though.
If the Bears beat or tie the Packers in their 3:25 p.m. game, the Seahawks get in the playoffs as a wild card with a road win at about the same time over the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks can also get in with a tie in their game against Arizona if it combines with a Bears win and a Tampa loss or tie with Carolina, or a Bears win and a Saints loss or tie against Atlanta.
Closer to home in the NFC North, the Vikings could get in with a win at Detroit and a Bears win over the Packers, but would also need Seattle to lose to Arizona and Tampa Bay to lose against Carolina. The Vikings also could get in with a win over the Lions, a Bears win over the Packers, a Seahawks loss to Arizona and a Saints loss to Atlanta.
While Tampa Bay’s quickest route in is by clinching the NFC South with a win over Carolina, it can also get in as division champion with a tie, or as a wild card with a tie. The Bears would figure into the wild card. For a wild card, the Buccaneers would need to tie, plus have the Bears beat or tie Green Bay and have Seattle lose to Arizona.
Saints fans could also owe a debt of gratitude to the Bears. The Saints clinch a playoff berth by winning over Atlanta combined with a Bears win or tie and a Seattle loss or tie. The Saints also get in by tying Atlanta provided the Bears beat the Packers and Seattle loses to Arizona.
It’s not as fun as making the playoffs themselves, but the Bears would no doubt be willing to collect favors in the future from any of the teams they help on Sunday.
Of course, with a win they’ll only make themselves more despised in Green Bay but what else is new?
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