Truth is, beating the Patriots wouldn't be nearly as important as beating the Lions was last week. Where standings and playoffs are concerned, beating their divisional rivals is just a fraction more weighty than a random win. And so, while beating the Patriots might fire the Bears up to the top 3 in power rankings, they still need to dominate the Vikings in the following week, and also face the Packers for the last game of the season.
Interestingly, if the Bears and the Packers continue to win, that last game might be for the division. Can you imagine a more storybook way to enter the post-season?
On a side note, beating the Patriots would be great, but if we end up going all the way and ultimately face them in the Super Bowl, it might end up working against us. As the Jets now know, Tom Brady's ability to put a whole team on his back puts Urlacher's resolve to shame. On the other hand, I can't imagine Urlacher getting all the way to the end just to lose again.
Alas, I've gotten way ahead of myself. There are four of the top teams in the league in the way of a playoff berth. A more likely scenario is, like the 90-win White Sox of a few years ago, a better-than-expected regular season and a freezeout come playoff time.
I'd love it if they bucked the trend...
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