Chicago Bears Still Have Plenty To Play For In Week 17 Vs Lions

Despite suffering through another disappointing season, the Chicago Bears still have plenty to play for before the end of the season. Next up, revenge against the Detroit Lions.

The Chicago Bears are winding down another frustrating season. Many NFL experts predicted them to only have two or three wins this season. However, they got off to a nice start and won two of their first three games. They were trying to prove the doubters wrong.

Then the wheels fell off and things got bad. After that nice start, the Bears lost 11 of their next 12 games, including eight in a row. There have been an array of different ways they lost.

Through it all, though, the team is still playing hard. While they lost many games, they were close in many of them. They had nine games this season that were one-score affairs in the fourth quarter. They lost eight of them. A bounce here or a fumble there and this season’s narrative could be completely different.

This is probably the best Chicago Bears Nation has felt while enduring a losing season. The Bears are still in the mix for the top pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. They finally have a first-round pick they can work with, either by picking en elite prospect or trading it to acquire more picks. They already have eight picks and the thought is that general manager Ryan Poles will amass more.

Additionally, they will likely have more than $125 million in cap space to go after free agents.

So, despite suffering through another disappointing and frustrating season, there is hope for Chicago. They just need to finally make the right decisions.

Still a lot to play for

There is still a lot for the Chicago Bears to play for this season. A lot of players on the current roster are auditioning, either for Chicago or for other teams. They want to assure that they remain in the league.

For example, running back David Montgomery is a free agent at the end of the season. With Khalil Herbert becoming a focal point of the running game before he got injured, Montgomery might be leaving. There are a lot of holes in the roster and paying a lot for a running back might not be something Poles wants to do.

Furthermore, there are young players who are getting valuable snaps in game situations who will benefit from playing. They are playing against teams who are competing for the playoffs so they get that experience. Hopefully, the Bears become one of those teams in the future. If they do, then the experience of playing in a playoff situation this season helps them in the future.

In addition, these games give the young players a chance to develop more before the season ends. Take quarterback Justin Fields. Yes, he’s had a historic season running the ball. He is on track to break the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season.

Fields needs more development throwing the ball, however. He has the ability to throw, yes, but he needs to be more consistent and learn how to trust his receivers to make a play. Despite working with subpar receivers and offensive line, he still needs to develop his passing game.

Then there is offensive tackle Braxton Jones, who has been a great find for Poles. Jones was the Bears’ fifth-round pick out of Southern Utah and worked his way to the starting job.

The coaches threw Jones to the wolves and he responded positively. Yes, he’s had his ups and downs like a rookie, but at times he doesn’t look like a rookie. He does a great job of learning from difficult situations. While he could get blown away on one play he’ll learn from it and then shut the defender down. He is showing that he could become a cornerstone player for the offensive line.

Dominique Robinson is another player who is receiving a lot of great experience. He was supposed to just be a project. Just a few years ago, he was a high school quarterback. Then he converted to wide receiver when he started college. Finally, he converted once again, this time to defensive end.

Robinson received way more snaps than the team previously intended. He is using his quickness and athletic ability to make plays. He will take this season’s experience into the offseason and be better in 2023.

Revenge game

In addition to the player development and audition aspects, the Chicago Bears also want to exact revenge on the Lions. In their first meeting against the Lions in Week 10, they controlled the game throughout. They had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Lions then outscored the Bears 21-6 in the final quarter to pull a 31-30 victory.

The Bears want to make up for that loss. Now, the Lions have an outside chance at getting into the playoffs. They are a half-game behind the Washington Commanders for the final playoff spot. A loss eliminates them. Nothing would make the Bears happier than to play the role of the spoilers, to give the Lions’ hopes a knife to the heart.

As you see, there is plenty for the Chicago Bears to play for before the end of the season. In addition to pride, they have the 2023 season and revenge to think about. While a win hurts their draft positioning, ending the season on a high note is important for the players and coaches.