The Bears have mined their share of fool’s gold in the final weeks of non-playoff seasons, but Sunday’s 37-17 victory over the Falcons at least looked like a convincing argument for progress under second-year coach Matt Eberflus.
Especially for Justin Fields and coordinator Luke Getsy’s offense, which scored 37 points against a Falcons defense that came in ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring defense. Fields’ 313 total yards — 268 passing, 45 rushing — is the second-most against the Falcons’ defense this season, behind Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s 321.
Skeptics can point to factors in the Bears’ favor. The Bears were playing at home, against a 7-8 Falcons team that looked uncomfortable in wintry conditions — light, blowing snow and freezing temperatures — much different from their home games at the domed Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Whether that’s legitimate skepticism, the season finale against the Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field will be an opportunity for Eberflus, Getsy and the Bears to make one final statement about the state of the rebuild under general manager Ryan Poles that likely will be tough to deny.
The Packers (8-8) not only will be at home, but they’ll be playing for their playoff lives — likely needing a victory over the Bears to make it. And they’re coming off an impressive 33-10 rout of the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in a showdown on “Sunday Night Football.”
After the Bears were throttled by the Packers 38-20 at Soldier Field in the season opener, the season finale will be another neat measurement of their progress. The opener started a horrid 0-4 stretch that included the bizarre resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams. The finale comes with the Bears winning four of their last five games, with the only loss against the playoff-bound Browns after a fourth-quarter meltdown.
“It’s about finishing,” Eberflus said. “It’s going to be about us, the Chicago Bears, going up to play our rival in the last week of the season. That’s what it’s about.
“Our guys are excited about it, and we are up for the challenge. It’s going to be a good week, and it’s going to come down to execution. Our guys are super pumped about it.”
Bears fans surely relish the opportunity to see their team knock the Packers out of the playoffs. But Eberflus said that won’t be part of the motivation — at least not from him. Bears fans are all about vengeance. Eberflus is all about culture. It’s hard to knock him on that.
“I’m going to keep it about us. I really will. I always do,” Eberflus said. “I’m going to keep it about us, our execution, the men in that locker room playing together, playing for each other, the brotherhood we have — and about us playing with the right passion and emotion that it takes to win a football game.”
The Bears have lost seven consecutive games at Lambeau Field — their longest road losing streak against the Packers in the 102-year history of the rivalry. They were 2-13 against the Packers at Lambeau in the Aaron Rodgers era. The only victories came in 2015 (17-13) and 2013 (27-20), when Rodgers left with a shoulder injury in the first quarter.
Sunday’s game also is an opportunity for the Bears to follow the Lions’ template. Last year, the Lions started 1-6 but finished 8-2 — including a victory at Lambeau Field in Week 18 that knocked the Packers out of the playoffs.
The Lions did not make the playoffs at 8-9, but the fast finish and closing victory set them up for better days. The Bears get their chance Sunday in Green Bay.
