They say the bye week is a stress-free time for fans of teams. That is true to some extent. They don’t have to sweat through actual games watching their team. However, that doesn’t mean the schedule can’t impact them in other ways. The Chicago Bears discovered this during their time off. After rallying to reach 2-2, it feels like they are in the conversation for the wild card spots in the NFC. To improve their odds, they needed certain teams to falter elsewhere. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way.

Minnesota escaped the Browns in London to reach 3-2, giving them a significant advantage in the race after already beating the Bears last month. Green Bay remains ahead of both, courtesy of their tie in Dallas. Washington cruised to a 27-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. That puts them at 3-2 and another big threat for the wild card. Chicago plays them next week in what will be a titanic rematch. If that weren’t enough, both the Rams and Seahawks are 3-2 and are also in the mix.

The Chicago Bears won’t get any help from outside sources.

It’s becoming clear that the NFC is every bit as deep as it was last year. Maybe more so. There are too many good ones to trust that enough will falter to give the Chicago Bears a window. That means one thing. They must control their own destiny by winning football games. Four of the next five games the Bears play will be against struggling teams: Saints, Ravens, Bengals, and Giants. Those are four that they can and should win. If they don’t, they have the 49ers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions, and Packers all waiting down the stretch.

Even a supposedly easier game against Cleveland in the middle of that is misleading because the Browns are a tough team. Part of making the playoffs is taking advantage of the opportunities your schedule gives you. The Bears haven’t done that in years. We’re about to find out if they really have changed.

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