(670 The Score) If the playoffs began this week, the Bears could rest with the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a bye into the divisional round. Of course, that current status certainly won’t keep them from working.
Reflecting on his Bears improving to 9-3 with a 24-15 win against the Eagles on Friday, head coach Ben Johnson on Monday wasn’t interested in viewing his team's standing atop the NFC as any sort of accomplishment.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Johnson said. “There’s games left. We got a long way to go. We haven’t been guaranteed a spot in the tournament yet. You have to earn that right.
“The job is not done. We haven’t accomplished anything yet.”
The Bears' win over the Eagles coupled with the Rams' 31-28 loss to the Panthers on Sunday left both Chicago and Los Angeles sitting at 9-3. The Bears currently own the tiebreaker over the Rams by virtue of their superior conference record.
Like Johnson, the Bears’ players aren’t celebrating anything just yet.
“The significance of it at the moment isn’t much,” Bears tight end Cole Kmet said. “Look, I know how this all is. We’re on the so-called mountain top right now, but those things change quickly week to week.”
As Kmet noted, the standings are bunched up. The Bears are just a half-game ahead of the Packers (8-3-1) in the NFC North race. Green Bay presently occupies the No. 6 seed in the NFC standings. Meanwhile, the 49ers (9-4) are in the final NFC wild-card spot despite being just one of five teams in the NFL with at least nine wins this season.
The Bears and Packers will play Sunday at Lambeau Field with first place on the line.
“It’s a big week,” Johnson said. “It’s a big week. We know how important this rivalry is.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.