NFL playoff race: Bears and 49ers clash with playoff bye week at stake | NFL
Game of the week
Chicago Bears (11-4) vs. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
A setback for the NFC’s No. 1 seed is the decorative iced penguin on a colossal Christmas cake in Week 17 that began with Detroit in flames on the big day, snowballs from there with a playoff preview between the Texans and Chargers on Saturday, and ends with Bears vs. 49ers (excluding Monday’s Rams vs. Falcons bit).
The race for the sacred bye week puts Chicago and San Francisco within a game of Seattle’s 12-3 lead, meaning the loser will have their hopes dashed at the final whistle. If the 49ers win, they can still clinch the No. 1 seed with a win against the Seahawks in Week 18, as they already hold the tiebreaker. If the Bears win, they have to beat the Lions next week and hope the Seahawks lose at least once to close out the season. It plays out until the end.
What the Bears must do to win
The Bears defense is having an extraordinary year turning the ball over. Brothers Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright display an uncanny ability to read a quarterback’s mind, and as such, Chicago leads the league in interceptions (21) and total turnovers (31).
They need to keep dishing out goodies to cut the legs of a San Francisco offense that’s quietly becoming a juggernaut. Much of the 49ers’ success has been the return of Brock Purdy at quarterback, who went on a five-game winning streak in which they averaged 34.2 points per game. Backup Mac Jones also had success, but not as much, with the 49ers scoring 22.8 points per game and going 5-3 under his watch.
A major difference is Purdy’s unwavering aggression when pushing the ball downfield. These more dynamic, trigger-happy tendencies can lead to interceptions, as Carolina discovered when they picked off Purdy three times in November, only to lose 20-9. What the Bears have that the Panthers don’t is an offense capable of outplaying San Francisco if they pull off a similar trick. Chicago needs to be conservative, be wary of the big play and wait patiently for a gift from Purdy.
What the 49ers must do to win
San Francisco needs to slow down Chicago’s impressive two-man attack. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who have 1,728 rushing yards between them, form the best tandem in the NFL outside of Buffalo’s unorthodox combination of James Cook and quarterback Josh Allen.
Swift and Monangai’s old-school power run drives energize and keep defenses honest while effectively cutting down yards from the first whistle to the last.
The problem for the 49ers is that they have faced a lot of weak offenses and have struggled against teams that run the ball well, like the Rams. Los Angeles ran for 126 yards and two scores in their 42-26 win over San Francisco in November. The solution may lie in the return of linebacker Tatum Bethune and lineman Sam Okuayinonu from injury. Both are strong run defenders; both must be ready to take on a fierce offensive line and a pair of even fiercer backcourt burners. The Bears will control the outcome if Swift and Monangai run wild.
On the rise: Pittsburgh Steelers
“I think there’s a mentality that you pay for a ticket, you say what you want. I think there should be some sort of code of conduct. Obviously it was intentional and I think there was some celebration afterwards on his part,” mused cerebral quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The depth of thought therefore always exceeds the arm – no change there.
Where the change has come for Pittsburgh is finding a cause they can rally behind to unite them as a unit. Rodgers revealed that the internal narrative is that DK Metcalf was treated unfairly, despite the receiver very openly throwing a punch at someone he could barely reach in the stands. This is hardly a reflexive action when faced with a vicious beard. But the blue-haired bad guy pushed him into it. Pittsburgh has the advantage again.
The entitled fan, and the rest of the NFL kingdom that wants the black and gold to fail, will pay – even local bodies chanting for the firing of Mike Tomlin in November. A missing edge on defense during early-season miscues has returned, improving the offensive scoring in batches for what feels like the first time in forever. Metcalf will make a triumphant return to save the Steelers in wild card weekend, should they beat the Browns on Sunday or the Ravens next week, securing a first playoff victory in what also seems like an eternity. It’s written.
Fall: Green Bay Packers
The wheels have not completely fallen off. The Packers are in the playoffs after the Lions limped on Christmas Day. Job completed. A window to win the NFC North is also still open if the Bears lose and the Packers win.
But after two successive losses, Micah Parsons ruled out for the season and quarterback Jordan Love’s fitness to face Baltimore called into question, the omens don’t exactly scream Super Bowl contenders, which they were two weeks ago. The offense was coming alive, relying on the deep threat of Christian Watson, and Green Bay led the AFC-leading Broncos 23-14 early in the third quarter at Mile High.
Defeat from a position of strength followed, as was the case again at Soldier Field last week. Caleb Williams, the old foe, delivered the most brutal dagger in recent times to extinguish what would have been a difficult victory against all odds. A missed opportunity to embrace the rallying cry that animates the playoffs: “no one believes in us.” Instead, maybe the Packers themselves have lost confidence now, too.
Race for the No. 1 pick
And then there were two. A pair of 2-13 fall guys sharing respective doom slides from nine games. The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are in pole position for the top pick after Cam Ward’s Tennessee Titans struggled against the fallen Kansas City Chiefs.
And who might these bottom dwellers face this week? Each other. Yes, the bruised, battered and broken bowl appears clearly, likely to settle the battle for good. Two jobbers enter; we don’t know whether to laugh or cry. The other lies crippled on the canvas, smiling between his blackened teeth. Next year, the pain might be worth it.
If the season ended today
AFC 1) Denver 13-3; 2) New England 12-3; 3) Jacksonville 11-4; 4) Pittsburgh 9-6; 5) LA 11-4 chargers; 6) Ox 11-4; 7) Houston 10-5. Bubble: Indianapolis 8-6; Baltimore 7-8
NFC 1) Seattle 12-3; 2) Chicago 11-4; 3) Philadelphia 10-5; 4) Carolina 8-7; 5) San Francisco 11-4; 6) LA Rams 11-4; 7) Green Berry 9-5-1. Bubble: Tampa Bay 7-8
