Why 7-3 Bears have only a 59% chance to make NFL playoffs

Matt Sullivan

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Why 7-3 Bears have only a 59% chance to make NFL playoffs image

The Chicago Bears are 7-3 after a huge comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Thanks to some more late-game heroics and some help from the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears sit atop the NFC North through 11 weeks.

However, despite their strong record, the Bears are still a ways away from being locks for the playoffs in Ben Johnson's first season in Chicago.

Ali Bhanpuri of NFL.com highlighted why the 7-3 Bears aren't just not locks for the playoffs, but only have a 59 percent chance of making the playoffs.

How Bears, at 7-3, only have a 59% chance of making the playoffs

"As fun as it is to daydream about a Bears first-round bye, their chances of even making the playoffs are still not much better than a coin flip (59%)," Bhanpuri writes.

One of the factors contributing to the Bears' 59 percent playoff odds is that Chicago's strength of schedule so far has been one of the easiest, with its opponents having a.348 winning percentage.

An easy schedule will boost a team's record, and in the Bears' case, games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings help make their schedule one of the easiest.

MORE: Bears shock the world with crazy last-minute comeback vs Vikings

That easy schedule is now over, as Bhanpuir mentions that the Bears are tied with the Green Bay Packers for the hardest remaining schedule at.592.

The Bears face the Green Bay Packers twice, and also have matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns.

Only the Browns don't have a winning record, but their incredible defense will give Caleb Williams and the Bears some issues.

Despite being 7-3, the Bears have a brutal schedule to finish out the year. Combined with an easy schedule so far, and the Bears' playoff odds being only 59% makes some sense.

Wins over the Packers or Lions would be huge boosts to their chances, as the Lions currently hold the tiebreaker over Chicago.

But for now, the Bears are far from locks to make the NFL playoffs in 2025.

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Staff Writer