UMFan83

Well that makes things simpler Bears win + Lions loss + Packers loss = division 2 Bears wins = division

Tucker talking about fantasy teams with him happy right now. I have Tucker and I'm happy....but my team still lost by 40 points :(

Wouldn't it be fun for the Bears to win and then have the two teams they desperately need to lose both have comeback wins by 1 point?

[expletive] how are the [expletive] ravens even in playoff contention?

Yup now all the Ravens need is a non gimpy QB and a semblance of an offense.

If the Ravens can't come back the Bears will be playing for their playoff lives next week. *trying to jinx them into somehow losing to the lifeless giants*

This is not good

Can't believe I'm saying this but this game is hard to watch after watching the Bears offense play every week.

Is this because if the Ravens win out (beating Cincy in the process) they will win the North and send Miami into a tiebreaker with Cincy which Miami wins?

Beginning to get real tired of the ticky tack "QB sliding" penalty even though it benefits the Bears more often then not. It just leaves the defensive player with no recourse, its almost impossible to pull up on some of these. Agreed. I feel guilty when those calls go in our favor.

So far so bad in Detroit

That sucks about Tillman but he wouldn't have been allowed to come back until the 2nd round anyways. Plus I haven't seen any major issues with Bowman/Frey. Obviously Tillman would help but it's not the biggest concern at the moment.

Good reddit post that puts together every clinching scenario for every team the last 2 weeks of the season (and tonight). For the Bears there are 3 paths into the playoffs. Only 1 of them doesn't involve beating GB to get in: For the Lions: Packers:

From PFF:

Also with a win Baltimore is 1 game back of the Bengals in the AFC North with week 17 matching those two teams up. With the Ravens already beating the Bengals once this year they would clinch the tiebreaker with a win in that one. They have a ton to play for tonight.

Nice to stomp a team that had only lost once in regulation in their last 18 games and had won 6 in a row.

yeah i hate meatballs too. sometimes its entertaining when they really start to go on a particularly meatbally tangent, but in this case its extremely irritating.

Yup, opponent scored the most points any team has scored in one week this year. Obviously he had Charles. I swear I'm snakebit this year.

Awesome color photo taken at Wrigley in 1950 posted on Reddit. Unfortunately its posted on Flicker so I can't post directly, but he's the link:

Stat to wake up to that depresses me.... The Ravens are 1-5 on the road this year

No for week 17 they make the call after week 16 games are completed. Oh OK. Anyone think having the Bears on two weeks in a row is something NBC would shy away from? No because its looking like the only other possible option is Philly-Dallas, which would mean Philly 2 weeks in a row. I don't think there are any other week 17 matchups where its possibly to guarantee playoff implications. Of course there's also a possibility that neither of those 2 games guarantee playoff implications (one scenario would be Dallas losing next week and Philly winning, while the Lions win twice with the Packers and Bears losing)

OK here are scenarios for Week 16-17, without ties included because [expletive] ties Scenario 1: Lions win tomorrow, win next week Bears win next week Packers win next week DET 9-6, CHI 9-6, GB 8-6-1 Then: Lions clinch with win, eliminated with loss, Bears clinch with win and Lions loss, Packers clinch with win and Lions loss Scenario 2: Lions lose either of the next 2 games, win the other Bears win next week Packers win next week CHI 9-6 GB 8-6-1 DET 8-7 Then: Winner of Bears/Packers clinches, Lions eliminated Scenario 3: Lions lose next 2 games Bears win next week Packers win next week CHI 9-6 GB 8-6-1 DET 7-8 Then: Winner of Bears/Packers clinches, Lions eliminated Scenario 4: Lions win next 2 games Bears lose next week Packers win next week DET 9-6 GB 8-6-1 CHI 8-7 Then: Lions clinch with a win or Packers loss to Bears, Packers clinch with a win and Lions loss, Bears eliminated Scenario 5: Lions win one of next 2 games, lose the other Bears lose next week Packers win next week GB 8-6-1 DET 8-7 CHI 8-7 Then: GB clinches with a win, Chicago clinches with a win and a DET loss, Detroit clinches with a win and GB loss Scenario 6: Lions lose next 2 games Bears lose next week Packers win next week GB 8-6-1 CHI 8-7 DET 7-8 Then: Winner of Bears/Packers clinches, Detroit is eliminated Scenario 7: Lions win next 2 games Bears lose next week Packers lose next week DET 9-6 CHI 8-7 GB 7-7-1 Then: Detroit clinches Scenario 8: Lions win 1 game, lose the other Bears lose next week Packers lose next week DET 8-7 CHI 8-7 GB 7-7-1 Then: Detroit clinches with a win, Bears clinch with win and Detroit loss, Packers clinch with a win and Detroit loss Scenario 9: Lions lose next 2 games Bears lose next week Packers lose next week CHI 8-7 GB 7-7-1 DET 7-8 Then: GB clinches with a win, Chicago clinches with a win, Detroit is eliminated Scenario 10: Lions win next 2 games Bears win next week Packers lose next week DET 9-6 CHI 9-6 GB 7-7-1 Then: Detroit clinches with a win, Chicago clinches with a win and Detroit loss, GB is eliminated Scenario 11: Lions win 1 game, lose the other Bears win next week Packers lose next week CHI 9-6 DET 8-7 GB 7-7-1 Then: Chicago clinches with a win, Detroit clinches with a win and Chicago loss, GB is eliminated Scenario 12: Lions lose both games Bears win next week Packers lose next week CHI 9-6 GB 7-7-1 DET 7-8 Then: Bears clinch the division

No for week 17 they make the call after week 16 games are completed.

They prefer to pick a game where they know going in there will be definite playoff implications. It's likely going to be Philly Cowboys unless the Cowboys continue their collapse and lose in Washington next week. If the Cowboys win I'm pretty sure the Cowboys-Eagles game will be for the NFC East regardless of how the Bears Eagles game goes because Dallas holds the tiebreaker. Then again, thinking it out I think that if the Lions go 1-1 this week and next and the Bears and Packers win next week, the Lions will be eliminated because the Bears would be 9-6 and the Packers 8-6-1 with the Lions at 8-7 meaning they could not catch the Packers/Bears winner even if they tie. Will be interesting to see what happens.

Both the next two games have been must wins and not because of the Packers. yeah, but the Packers could have been taken out and convinced to sit Rodgers for the rest of the year, and now he'll come back and beat the Bears. I know this...I'm just not sure why UM just said next week was an absolute must win now. Both games are must wins and would have been no matter what happened in this game. We should consider ourselves fortunate if Detroit loses one of BAL, NYG, @MIN, tomorrow night seemingly being our best shot. True, I guess it doesn't really matter what the Packers do at this point because at worst we'd be 0.5 games behind the Packers going into our last game, so its still only Detroit vs. Chicago/GB. That tie really makes things much less complicated.