The Chicago Bears' magic ran out on Sunday night, but only by a hair.
After scoring 38 points and coming within two yards of a game-winning touchdown in the closing moments against the San Francisco 49ers, Caleb Williams and the Bears came up just short and left Levi's Stadium with a clearer view of their playoff outlook.
The Bears' pursuit of the No. 1 seed in the NFC is over, but they will still have something to play for in Week 18, even if coach Ben Johnson decides it makes more sense to sit some of his key starters.
Here's what you need to know about the Bears' playoff outlook in the NFC.
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Bears playoff picture
The Bears remain in the NFC's No. 2 seed at 11-5, but they have been eliminated from No. 1 seed contention.
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Seahawks* | 13-3 |
| 2 | Bears* | 11-5 |
| 3 | Eagles* | 11-5 |
| 4 | Panthers | 8-8 |
| 5 | 49ers* | 12-4 |
| 6 | Rams* | 11-4 |
| 7 | Packers* | 9-6-1 |
| 8 | Vikings | 8-8 |
| 9 | Lions | 8-8 |
| 10 | Cowboys | 7-8-1 |
| 11 | Buccaneers | 7-9 |
| 12 | Falcons | 6-9 |
| 13 | Saints | 6-10 |
| 14 | Commanders | 4-12 |
| 15 | Cardinals | 3-13 |
| 16 | Giants | 3-13 |
* -- Clinched playoff berth.
The Bears can't finish any lower than No. 3 in the NFC, so they will play on wild-card weekend as either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed.
Chicago would clinch the No. 2 seed with either a win over the Detroit Lions or a Philadelphia Eagles loss to the Washington Commanders. The Bears can only slip to No. 3 with a loss and an Eagles win.
Whether coach Ben Johnson plans to play at full strength will be a key storyline to watch leading up to Week 18. The No. 2 seed could be the difference between a home playoff game and road playoff game in the divisional round, but Johnson may value rest and injury prevention more than securing the No. 2 seed.
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NFC North standings
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Bears | 11-5 |
| 2 | Packers | 9-6-1 |
| 3 | Vikings | 8-8 |
| 4 | Lions | 8-8 |
Despite the loss on Sunday, the Bears clinched the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers' loss on Saturday and are guaranteed a top-three seed in the NFC.
Bears remaining schedule
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| Jan. 4 | vs. Lions | 4:25 p.m. |
The Bears close their season by hosting the Lions at home on Sunday in the late window, in Detroit's first game since being eliminated from playoff contention.