(670 The Score) In their first season led by head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround that has them headed to the playoffs.
The Bears (11-4) clinched a postseason berth over the weekend by virtue of their thrilling 22-16 win over the Packers on Saturday night at Soldier Field and the Lions’ 29-24 loss to the Steelers on Sunday afternoon.
That’s an accomplishment worth celebrating in Chicago, but at Halas Hall, the Bears are focused on what’s next.
“That was step one” Johnson said Monday in reference to the Bears' playoff berth. “Step two is we want to win this division, we want to have at least one home playoff game. And then step three would be clinching the No. 1 seed. So, there’s a lot of things still out there to play for."
The Bears can clinch the NFC North crown for the first time since 2018 with one victory in their final two games or if the Packers lose either of their final two contests. As for the top seed in the NFC, the Seahawks (12-3) currently occupy that spot heading into the penultimate week of the regular season.
If the Bears win the division, they'll host their first game of the playoffs at Soldier Field, whether that be in the wild-card round or potentially the divisional round if they land the No. 1 seed.
"You got to be able to get into the dance first to even have Super Bowl talks,” Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. “Being able to punch our ticket to even have a chance to bring that trophy home is something that is very important to us.
“Don't get me wrong, it's a great accomplishment, but at the same time, we have two important games coming up that will shape up how that will even go."
The Bears will play the 49ers (10-4) on Sunday evening at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. San Francisco first has a pivotal game at Indianapolis (8-6) on Monday Night Football as it looks to stay in the NFC West race.
For the Bears, all of their goals remain in front of them. And experiencing Soldier Field in their key win against the Packers on Saturday serves as motivation heading down the stretch.
"I felt that crowd,” Johnson said. “I was so blown away by the impact that they had on Saturday night that I think that all of us are going to feel like we want to be playing a playoff game in front of them so that they can have that same impact there. That’s really going to be our focus. We’ve got to win this division to earn that right to play a home playoff game. We have a chance to do that over the next couple of games."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.