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Well that was an eventful week. No team even won in the NFC North. Suffice it to say, it didn't really help the Bears out. Given the status of tiebreakers and opponent records, the Bears are increasingly in a situation where they need to win the NFC North, and that's no small task given what lies ahead.
The Thanksgiving divisional matchup between the Lions and the Packers will go a long way towards spelling out what has to happen for the Bears in the next five weeks. Let's take a look at the conference standings, how the playoffs currently stand, and who we might want to root for this week.
| Wk. Rank | Team | Div | W | L | T | Div Rec | Conf Rec | Wk13 Opponent |
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3-0 | 7-0 | Saints |
| 2 | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2-0 | 7-0 | @Seahawks |
| 3 | Detroit Lions | North | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3-0 | 5-3 | Packers |
| 4 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4-0 | 6-2 | Raiders |
| 5 | Carolina Panthers | South | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2-0 | 6-2 | Buccaneers |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2-1 | 4-3 | Rams |
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0-3 | 4-4 | @Eagles |
| 8 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3-2 | 5-2 | Cardinals |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2-2 | 3-5 | @Vikings |
| 10 | Green Bay Packers | North | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2-1-1 | 3-4-1 | @Lions |
Admittedly, technically speaking, there are a couple of other teams you could consider in the hunt, the Rams and the Giants, but, realistically, I'm not doing that. If they prove me wrong this week and inject themselves into the conversation, good on them.
If the playoffs started today
First round bye: Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints
Homefield advantage: Seattle Seahawks
Wildcard matchups: San Francisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys
To be fair, this would be a pretty stacked NFC postseason. I could easily see these being great games.
Rooting Interests
Saints @ Seahawks
I'm rooting Saints, just because I personally don't care for the Seahawks. Your mileage may vary. In terms of affecting the Bears, it doesn't too much. I guess theoretically you don't want the Saints to lose because if you got back in a wildcard race they'd just end up outranking you.
Packers @ Lions
Giant Meteor! No, just kidding. But seriously though. A tie would be great, but if someone has to win, go Packers. That way, if the Bears win this week, they at least get a glorious taste of a first-place position for a while.
Raiders @ Cowboys
Raiders. Losing Cowboys is funny, and could make the matchup against the Cowboys in two weeks even more important for the Bears.
Buccaneers @ Panthers
Go Bucs! Get your 7th overall pick and enjoy it.
Rams @ 49ers
Go Rams. Your advanced running game should clearly carry you to victory against the 49ers. Oh...wait, the 49ers tackle people? Never mind.
Cardinals @ Eagles
The Cardinals are having a great season, and a win over the Eagles coupled with a 49ers loss would put them in a wildcard slot.
Bears @ Vikings
I can't believe you would legitimately ask this.