The Chicago Bears have four wins this season in a year that began with the excitement of first pick in the draft quarterback Caleb Williams. The early enthusiasm for Chicago fans has melted down to nothing but losses since they allowed their potential fifth win of the season to slip away on a Hail Mary pass in Washington.
Before that crushing defeat, the Bears had won four of their first six games and had a point spread record of 4-1-1.
Since Jayden Daniels snatched a win for the Commanders from the jaws of defeat, he has led his Washington squad into the playoffs while the Bears have lost every game. In the process, the team first fired their offensive coordinator and then their head coach.
It’s not that the Bears haven’t had some close opportunities to win a fifth game. They missed a routine field goal against the Green Bay Packers in mid-November that would have lifted them to a win instead of leaving them with a 20-19 loss. The next week, they made a furious fourth quarter comeback to force overtime against the talented Minnesota Vikings, only to fail to pick up a first down after winning the coin toss to start the extra period and then allow Sam Darnold to lead Minnesota to the victory.
The next week, on Thanksgiving Day, they made another comeback against the Detroit Lions and had a minute of game clock to use in order to improve their field goal position or score a go-ahead touchdown. Head Coach Matt Eberflus so messed up the clock management that after he defended his boneheaded play the team fired him.
His replacement, on an interim basis, is Thomas Brown. He hasn’t had a key for a Bears fifth win. In fact, the Bears were blown out in his first three games and then last week, while holding the visiting Seattle Seahawks to just six points, the Bears only tallied three in their tenth straight loss.
They complete this season that started with promise and has ended in more disappointment for the fans that watch their home games at Soldier Field with a Week 18 matchup against the Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay has locked up a Wild Card berth and could move into the sixth seed with a win and a Washington loss to the Cowboys.
The Packers have something else to play for on Sunday. They lost last week at Minnesota and teams have a clear desire not to want to enter the playoffs following multiple losses.
Not winning in Minnesota, no big deal.
Losing at home to the Bears, not likely.
Covering the double-digit point spread?
Highly probable.
Qoxhi Picks: Green Bay Packers (-10) over Chicago Bears