Thanksgiving dinner will go one of two ways for Bears fans. They'll either enjoy a feast while maintaining hope that Chicago will make the 2019 playoffs, or they'll suffer through indigestion associated with season elimination.
The Bears have a must-win game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday. All of their remaining games are must-wins, for the most part, but even if they lose one of their last five contests, they'll finish at 9-7 and have at least some mathematical hope to sneak in.
But let's assume 10 wins is the magic number. They're currently jockeying with the Vikings, Rams, Eagles and Cowboys for the sixth and final wild card. If the Bears finish 10-6, they'll need the following outcomes for each of those teams to make the dance. As you'll see, it isn't out of the realm of possibility and, in a way, the Bears have more control over their own destiny than fans may realize; they play three of the teams they're fighting for a playoff spot over the final five games:
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Vikings (8-3):
Seahawks - loss
Lions - win
Chargers - win
Packers - loss
Bears - loss
Final record: 10-6, Bears own tie-breaker
Rams (6-5):
NFL
Cardinals - win
Seahawks - loss
Cowboys - loss
49ers - loss
Cardinals - win
Final record: 8-8
Eagles (5-6):
Dolphins - win
Giants - win
Redskins - win
Cowboys - loss
Giants - win
Final record: 9-7
Cowboys (6-5):
Bills - loss
Bears - loss
Rams - win
Eagles - win
Redskins - win
Final record: 9-7
Panthers (5-6):
Redskins - win
Falcons - win
Seahawks - loss
Colts - loss
Saints - loss
Final record: 7-9