The Bears will go 12-0 in the NFC if they beat the Packers.
What’s so great about that?
It might not be as impressive as going 12-0 in the AFC, but only three teams have gone unbeaten in conference games since the 1970 merger: the 1972 Dolphins, the 1984 49ers and the 1985 Bears. All three won the Super Bowl.
Do the Bears want to win?
They want to win, but the question is whether they will pay the price. Mainly, they want to be healthy for their playoff opener Jan. 13 or 14.
But didn’t they rest regulars in last year’s season finale in Minnesota to get ready for Carolina?
Yes, they did.
Did it help?
Evidently not.
Didn’t Lovie Smith say beating the Packers was his No. 1 priority?
That was just a start, a first priority, a steppingstone to bigger priorities.
You mean he no longer wants to beat the Packers?
It’s just that he no longer needs to beat the Packers, who have been doing a grand job of beating themselves lately.
Are the Packers a playoff team?
If they make the playoffs, they sure are. The NFC is an equal-opportunity playoff employer. Anybody who even thinks about the playoffs gets a chance. By Sunday night, the NFC might have to send out a search party to fill out its playoff dance card.
The Bears have a six-game lead on the second-place Packers in the NFC North. Didn’t Smith say the NFC North was more competitive than critics thought?
That was just to make the Bears feel more confident about what they are accomplishing.
Will this be Brett Favre’s last game?
No. If there’s anything he likes to do more than play at Lambeau Field, where his winning percentage is .752, it’s play in Soldier Field, where his winning percentage is .846. That’s 11 victories and two losses.
But what if he retires?
He just might.
Then won’t this be his last game?
Until he’s riding his lawn mower in Mississippi and the phone rings and he agrees he misses it too much.
