The Chicago Bears secured a big win on Friday night by knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles 24-15 in a stellar road effort. It ultimately positioned them to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC if things fell right on Sunday.
Well, they certainly did as Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers knocked off Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams 31-28.
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Chicago simply had to sit at home on Sunday with a victory in their back pocket and see what happened in the Rams-Panthers contest.
With their loss, the Rams fell to the No. 2 seed spot. The Eagles are slotted at No. 3, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also won on Sunday by stopping the Arizona Cardinals 20-17 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., are at No. 4 right now after Sunday’s late slate of NFL games.
The Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers round out the 5-7 seeds in the NFC playoff scenario.
According to the PFSN NFL Playoff Predictor, the Bears now have an 87.5% chance of making the NFL playoffs, a 50.7% chance of winning their division, and a 15.5% chance of finishing as the NFC’s top seed.
As for the Rams, they have a 94.9% chance of making the playoffs, a 46.0% chance of winning their division, and a 32.5% chance of finishing as the first seed in their conference.
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Chicago has a 9-3 record and is in first place in the NFC North Division, while the Packers are in second at 8-3-1 and the Detroit Lions, who lost to Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day, stand 7-5 on the season.
The Bears have benefitted this season thanks to starting quarterback Caleb Williams. According to the PFSN NFL QB Impact metrics, Williams has an impact score of 75.4 and grades out to a C. On the season, Williams has completed 213-of-360 passes for 2,568 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
What about the Rams? They are in first place in the NFC West Division at 9-3, while the Seahawks are second at 9-3, and the 49ers are 9-4 overall. Stafford continues to play at a pretty high level himself for Los Angeles. According to the PFSN NFL QB Impact metrics, Stafford has an impact score of 81.5 and grades out to a B-.
Chicago will aim to maintain its No. 1 seed in the NFC as its season progresses. But the Rams will not go quietly as Rams head coach Sean McVay will look to get Stafford and Co. focused on getting back into that NFC top-seed position.
