The Chicago Bears have so far done their part in setting up their 2023 NFL drafts. They are now 3-13 after losing to Detroit on Sunday. This guarantees them the 4th overall victory with a game to be played. Another loss will block them for the #2 pick. However, your chances of climbing higher to #1 remain strong. All they need is for the Houston Texans to beat the hapless Indianapolis Colts in the season finale. From there, the Bears would have to do their part in losing to the Minnesota Vikings.
The problem many people worried about was that the Vikings might consider setting their starters. They’ve already won the NFC North, and the conference’s #1 is out of reach. However, her once-iron grip on the No. 2 shattered after her disastrous loss in Green Bay. Now they need to win Sunday to give themselves a chance to win two home playoff games instead of just one. They need to beat the Bears and hope the Arizona Cardinals can upset the San Francisco 49ers.
Here’s the best part. Thanks to the NFL schedulers, Minnesota won’t be able to pull itself out of playing their starters for the entire game. San Francisco doesn’t play until late afternoon. At noon the Vikings play. So they can’t look at the scoreboard and seed their starters if the 49ers aren’t playing the way they want.
The Chicago Bears could make that easier with seated starters.
Of course they won’t do that. Head coach Matt Eberflus has made it clear that the team will keep trying to win games. That means they have valid reasons to sit Justin Fields. He’s been beaten by too many hits all season. Nobody would turn a blind eye if the Bears put him in the finals. That would almost guarantee a loss. Other players are unlikely to pass, including Teven Jenkins. Fields was fired seven times in Detroit. The offensive line showed they can’t protect him. Why subject him to further abuse against a Viking team that still has something to play for?
Eberflus left the window open. While saying Fields will play next Sunday if he is healthy, he also said he would be in talks with GM Ryan Poles about what decision to make. That suggests the Chicago Bears have the same thoughts. A win would be nice, but number 1 would be even better. It would give them untold bargaining power for the 2023 draft. They could either take the best player on their board or auction the pick-off to a QB-needy team for a king’s ransom.