The highest odds are that the Bears play GB at home in the WC Round, then PHI (Double Doink Revenge Game) at home in the Divisional Round, followed by SF in SF for the NFCC. Can you imagine that slate of games?

 

Their is bo easy path to the SB but just hope we have as many home games as possible.

Who would you prefer to face in the first game? GB, SF or LA? 

IMO the Packers are the weakest of those three. LA lost to Atlanta last night and looked beatable. I least would want to face SF that's running hot right now.

7 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

Who would you prefer to face in the first game? GB, SF or LA? 

IMO the Packers are the weakest of those three. LA lost to Atlanta last night and looked beatable. I least would want to face SF that's running hot right now.

Honestly, the way we play, it'll be a fight till the end with any team we go up against.  I'll take home field and roll up my sleeves...

There are 4 teams that have a positive EPA/P of +0.02 or greater on offense and -0.02 on defense. Surprisingly, the Bears are one of them (for how bad the defense has been lately):

LAR, NE, BUF, and CHI.

DEN would be the 5th but are only +0.01 on offense.

Every other team either has a negative offense or defense that are in the playoffs.

What does all of that mean? Those are the 4 most consistent teams and are most likely to progress thru the playoffs because probabilities are stronger in the playoffs. Home field advantage goes up 10% in the playoffs, meaning home teams win 10% more than they do in the regular season. 

LAR @ CHI and BUF @ NE for the Conference Championships would not be surprising at all.

Like Mongo said, being home is the key. West coast teams coming here would be an advantage to us. Out of our control anyways. 

Something interesting I discovered the other day: If the Packers lose their final game to MIN, they'll be going into the playoffs on a 4 game losing streak. The last team to win a playoff game on a 4 or more game losing streak to end the regular season was the 1986 NY Jets.

Just some food for thought.

Happy New Year, gang!

A little additional food for thought. I’ll admit I haven’t kept up with college football as closely this year as I have in the past, and I honestly forgot just how much the season has changed with the expanded playoffs.

While watching the final ticks of the Texas Tech–Oregon game, a graphic popped up noting that all but one of the teams with a first-round bye ended up losing their first playoff game (Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech). Makes you wonder if having the bye is really the advantage it’s supposed to be.

And I’ll add—how strange is it to see teams like Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama not in the national championship picture… while Indiana is sitting at #1? Absolutely mind-boggling.

6 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Happy New Year, gang!

A little additional food for thought. I’ll admit I haven’t kept up with college football as closely this year as I have in the past, and I honestly forgot just how much the season has changed with the expanded playoffs.

While watching the final ticks of the Texas Tech–Oregon game, a graphic popped up noting that all but one of the teams with a first-round bye ended up losing their first playoff game (Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech). Makes you wonder if having the bye is really the advantage it’s supposed to be.

And I’ll add—how strange is it to see teams like Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama not in the national championship picture… while Indiana is sitting at #1? Absolutely mind-boggling.

Go Hoosiers!

Yeah, I think if hes ready to go, Odunze should get some snaps this week. In the past, we have put recovering players on a limited snap count, and that makes sense here too.

Football is in large part about momentum, so resting your starters isnt always the advantage it seems to be.

My only point here is that there is a middle ground. You can play a guy some, but not all of the snaps.

And if we get up more than 2 scores in the 4th qtr, then sure, Bagent can come in.

45 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Happy New Year, gang!

A little additional food for thought. I’ll admit I haven’t kept up with college football as closely this year as I have in the past, and I honestly forgot just how much the season has changed with the expanded playoffs.

While watching the final ticks of the Texas Tech–Oregon game, a graphic popped up noting that all but one of the teams with a first-round bye ended up losing their first playoff game (Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech). Makes you wonder if having the bye is really the advantage it’s supposed to be.

And I’ll add—how strange is it to see teams like Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama not in the national championship picture… while Indiana is sitting at #1? Absolutely mind-boggling.

I think a big difference is in college these teams with byes have had multiple weeks off vs just a one week bye. Big difference between fresh and prepared and prepared but rusty. 

7 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Happy New Year, gang!

A little additional food for thought. I’ll admit I haven’t kept up with college football as closely this year as I have in the past, and I honestly forgot just how much the season has changed with the expanded playoffs.

While watching the final ticks of the Texas Tech–Oregon game, a graphic popped up noting that all but one of the teams with a first-round bye ended up losing their first playoff game (Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech). Makes you wonder if having the bye is really the advantage it’s supposed to be.

And I’ll add—how strange is it to see teams like Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama not in the national championship picture… while Indiana is sitting at #1? Absolutely mind-boggling.

I agree and will say it's about coaching. Look at the fest going on at Michigan since harbaugh left. The Indiana Coach came from the Alabama tree and now there winning.

So are we hoping for a SF win or does it matter?  Provided we win tomorrow.  

On 12/29/2025 at 5:14 AM, adam said:

 

3 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

So are we hoping for a SF win or does it matter?  Provided we win tomorrow.  

Better if Seattle wins. That's puts in the driver's seat if they might get upset for the NFC championship game. Home field in Chicago would matter.

2 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

Better if Seattle wins. That's puts in the driver's seat if they might get upset for the NFC championship game. Home field in Chicago would matter.

Seattle won amazingly enough 13-3.  A 49ers team that put up 42 on us last week managed just a FG today.  So they drop to the 5 seed.  With a win tomorrow we clinch the 2 seed and would have guaranteed home field through the divisional round. If Seattle gets upset then we would host the NFCC vs either SF or Carolina. Who’d have thought we would be in this position! 
 

first things first we need to take care of business and win tomorrow.  The Lions would like nothing more to play spoiler. We need to win to clinch the 2 seed and go into the playoffs with momentum.  

14 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

So are we hoping for a SF win or does it matter?  Provided we win tomorrow.  

I'd rather play Sam Darnold than Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan, personally, but Seattle's defense is really damn good. It's kind of a pick your poison. 

The most ideal matchups for the Bears to get to a Superbowl is to get the 2 seed, beat the Packers, root for the Eagles to beat SF, beat PHI, and then probably root for the Rams to beat Seattle so the NFC Championship game is in Chicago.

If Bears win, they play GB. Bears lose and Eagles win, Bears more than likely play the Rams. Rams would have to lose to the Cardinals to fall to the #6 seed.

So it could be GB @ CHI, SF @ PHI, and LAR @ TB/CAR.

Then if the Bears win in the WC, it would be PHI or LAR @ CHI in the Divisional Round. Since SF would be the lowest seed remaining, if they win in PHI, they go to SEA. If PHI wins, LAR goes to SEA, and PHI comes to CHI.

7 hours ago, adam said:

If Bears win, they play GB. Bears lose and Eagles win, Bears more than likely play the Rams. Rams would have to lose to the Cardinals to fall to the #6 seed.

So it could be GB @ CHI, SF @ PHI, and LAR @ TB/CAR.

Then if the Bears win in the WC, it would be PHI or LAR @ CHI in the Divisional Round. Since SF would be the lowest seed remaining, if they win in PHI, they go to SEA. If PHI wins, LAR goes to SEA, and PHI comes to CHI.

So it ends up being GB @ CHI, SF @ PHI, and LAR @ CAR.

With LAR gonna be the heavy favorites as the #5 Seed. If CHI and PHI both win, PHI comes to CHI. If SF wins, LAR comes to CHI. 

Gotta win this one against GB.