2025 Bears Predication Update: Early Results

The Bears clinched a playoff spot a couple weeks ago.  Then, last week, they clinched the division.  The only thing left was to try and score the First Round Bye.  Unfortunately, a loss in a close game against the 49ers eliminated any chance of that.  With the last game against Detroit, they are playing for either the 2nd Seed or the 3rd Seed. 

If Chicago beats the Detroit Lions or the Eagles somehow lose to the Washington Commanders, they clinch the number 2 seed and a rematch against the No. 7 Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.  If the Bears lose, they lock down the number 3 spot.

Potential wild-card matchups for Bears

Bears vs. Packers: Chicago beats Lions OR Eagles lose to Commanders

Bears vs. 49ers: Chicago loses to Lions AND Eagles beat Commanders AND Seahawks beat 49ers AND Rams win out (at Falcons, vs. Cardinals)

Bears vs. Rams: Chicago loses to Lions AND Eagles beat Commanders AND 49ers beat Seahawks AND Rams win out (at Falcons, vs. Cardinals)

Bears vs. Seahawks: Chicago loses to Lions AND Eagles beat Commanders AND Rams lose to Falcons (Week 17) OR Rams lose to Cardinals

None of those games will be easy especially with our inconsistent offense and swiss cheese defense.  Plus we cannot count on the luck that we won all those come from behind last minute win games.

Winter Begins

There isn't really a lot to write about these days.  Which is why I don't write much here. I don't even bother with quick two paragraphs and a picture posts like I once did.  I guess I'm getting over blogging.

During the week it's simply get up, get the kids feed, dressed and to school and then pick them up at 3.  Feed them dinner, get them to martial arts or soccer and then get them ready for bed.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  

And now the kids are home for winter break so I have them 24/7 until after the new year.  

And hope they don't burn the house down over boredom

But hey, the Bears exceeded expectations and have clinched a playoff berth.  I'm guaranteed two more regular season games and at least one playoff game.  Given how lucky they have been, I have no delusions that they will go deep but maybe they win their first playoff game?  That's the price of being a Bears fan.  There was a not less than zero chance the Bears could have missed the playoffs even with winning 11 game this season.

Fortunately, they secured a berth with a miraculous win over Green Bay Saturday Night and a bizarre loss by the Detroit Lions the next day.

Many of my neighbors have ponds in their front or back yards so we have a lot of geese. I’ve started giving them the end pieces of bread that my kids won’t eat anymore (they actually used to eat them). It might be my wishful thinking but I feel like since I started paying tribute to my Widgeon Overlords, there is less goose shit on my driveway.

Whenever Facebook or even Google Photos shows me what I was doing X years ago, I get a little nostalgic for what was.  I guess I didn't really appreciate what I had and what I've given up to come down here.  There is no easy path back to Chicago and I have to learn to be okay with that.  

Tomorrow night the Adamas arrive and will stay with us until Saturday or perhaps Sunday.  It use to be us arriving to spend time down here but now we host.  All because we came down here to meet our new niece instead of waiting until Christmas.  Nightingale is the one who bought SIL a Match dot com subscription for Christmas one year and that's how she met Confederate Jethro.  He was on good behavior, more or less, until after the wedding and then he let his racism, misogyny and homophobia flags fly at full mast.  

2025 Bears Predication Update: Third Quarter Results

The NFL season is three-quarters over, with most of the teams completing their bye weeks and the Chicago Bears are 9-3.  I don't know whether to go with Wow or OMG.  

My pre-season predictions had them at 6-6 and I've never been happier to be so wrong.

and Swept Pennsylvania too

There are a lot of haters out there saying the Bears haven't played anyone.  Yet they just played a complete game against the Super Bowl Champion Eagles and beat them soundly.  

The thing is, we Bears fans just wanted a better season than the last few years.  They went 7 and 10 in 2023 and 5 and 12 in 2024.  That was literally the floor.  At the start of the season, we ambitiously hoped for 8-9 or miraculously 9-8 and a wild-card berth.  

That they are already at 9 and 3 with 5 more games to play is a Christmas Miracle.  It has been fun to watch them go from 0-2 to being in the Wild Card Hunt to leading the division and now, with the LA Rams losing to Carolina yesterday, being top of the NFC!

Can they keep it up?  Who knows.  

Per the self-inflicted rules,  I'm sticking with my predictions.  For their last five games, I predict the following:

If these predictions are correct, that would place them at 12-5, surely enough to get into the playoffs.  Will it be enough to win the division?  Unknown.  If New England and Denver can win 8, 9 games in a row, why not the Bears?

On Social Media, I've pointed out how this year seems like the magical 2001 year when they went 13-3, but then blew it in the playoffs against, ironically, Philadelphia.    In fact, on Friday we watched the first quarter of the game at a bar in Skokie while meeting up with former neighbors and it had 2001 vibes of when I had a group of people ever week meet at Donovan's to watch the game.

On a personal note, I have been able to watch 8 of the 12 Bears games so far.  However, one of those was because I was in Illinois at the time.  While driving up, I was streaming the game against Pittsburgh but missed most of the 4th quarter because my kids were using my hotspot and ran through my data.  Fortunately, we got to the hotel in time for me to run up to the room and see the last few minutes.  

The game against the Eagles was on Black Friday, so I would have been able to see it down here.  The game against the 49ers is on Sunday Night Football, so I can watch that one.  Since they flexed next week's game against the Packers to 3:15, I suspect I can watch that one too, though I cannot confirm until Wednesday afternoon.  

Update: Yes, the whole nation gets to watch the Bears play in Lambeau Field while Arizona and half of California, get to watch the Cardinals play spoiler to the LA Rams.  

The last game of the season against the Lions hasn't been set a time.  I suspect the NFL is waiting to see which games are playoff impacting, but it wouldn't surprise me if this game gets flexed to SNF, which means I get to watch that one too.

I guess my prediction last year that if I didn't pay to watch the games, the Bears would be good has come true.  I just hope it continues.