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A look back at the best of the action from Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season
The final weekend of the NFL regular season played stage to late drama, new faces, a rushing maestro and the end of an 18-year playoff drought; we take you through the 14 teams that sealed their spot in the postseason…
AFC
1) Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
Head coach: Andy Reid is in season eight with the Kansas City Chiefs, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down after signing a contract extension during the team’s bye week this season. This year’s 14-2 record marks Reid’s best as a head coach and the best in Chiefs history.
Key man: The uber-talented Patrick Mahomes, of course. The reigning Super Bowl MVP finished the year second in passing yards with 4,740 for a third-most 38 touchdowns and just six interceptions, having been rested in the season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.
There’s an aura of invincibility to his game at times, even when, like on a few occasions this season, he has dropped a level below his ridiculous best. How could you bet against the Chiefs when Mahomes is under center?
The Super Bowl champions entered their Week 17 match-up against the Chargers riding a 10-game unbeaten run, having flexed their strength with wins over the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints behind a No 1 ranked offense.
Playoff history: Kansas City lifted the Lombardi Trophy on their first visit to the Super Bowl in 50 years when they beat the San Francisco 49ers in Miami last February. They have now made the playoffs in seven of Reid’s eight seasons in charge, losing on Wild Card weekend twice, losing in the Divisional Round twice and falling to the New England Patriots in the 2018-19 AFC Championship game.
Prior to Reid’s arrival in 2013, the Chiefs had advanced the postseason on just three occasions since 1997, after competing in January in seven of Marty Schottenheimer’s 10 seasons in charge between 1989 and 1998. Their longest playoff drought was a 14-year absence from 1971 to 1986.
2020 prospects: They have the dream quarterback, every kind of weapon you could wish to give him, one of the NFL’s great offensive-minded head coaches, a head-coach-in-waiting in offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and a defense that has built a habit of delivering when it matters most. This team has what it takes to run it back.
2) Buffalo Bills (13-3)
Head coach: Sean McDermott is quite rightly considered a strong contender for Coach of the Year honours due to the fine work he has done with this Buffalo team, particularly overseeing a sharp improvement in the play of their quarterback.
Key man: Speaking of the quarterback, Josh Allen is quite clearly the main man for this team. The No 7 pick from the 2018 Draft has improved his play in each of his three seasons in the NFL, with this year seeing the sharpest leap in his game – even garnering him some MVP buzz – as he threw for 4,544 yards and 37 TDs, breaking both of Jim Kelly’s franchise records.
0:48 Isaiah McKenzie avoided half of the Dolphins defense in this brilliant 84-yard, stop-start punt return
How they got here: The Bills had a mini-blip when dropping back-to-back games to the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs in Weeks 5 and 6 – the former, a 42-16 blowout to a team that hadn’t practiced for the best part of two weeks due to a COVID-19 outbreak, was particularly galling.
But, since, the Buffalo have been red hot! They’re arguably the form team of the bunch heading into the postseason, winning six straight and nine of their last 10 – the only defeat, to the Arizona Cardinals, courtesy of a rather fluky Hail Mary pass in the final seconds. Their last three wins have been particularly impressive, coming by a combined score of 142-54.
Playoff history: Not great. The Bills are one of only two teams, along with the Minnesota Vikings, to have lost four Super Bowls, and theirs came all at once too in four heartbreaking near-misses in the early 1990s. Since then, just making the postseason has proven a problem – Buffalo suffered a drought of 18 years that was finally ended in 2017, though their last playoff win was still way back in 1995!
2020 prospects: That unwanted streak will surely come to an end this season. The Bills will be heavy favourites for their Wild Card clash with the Indianapolis Colts, though they would be wise not to take an 11-5 team too lightly. Their ambition will be far greater though, with an AFC Championship appearance likely the minimum goal.
3) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Head coach: Mike Tomlin became the head coach of the Steelers in 2007. He became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl in NFL history (2008) and, during his time in charge, he has secured 14 consecutive non-losing seasons, tying Marty Schottenheimer for the longest streak of all time.
Key man: The Steelers defense has been the crutch of their season. Outside linebacker TJ Watt is a three-time pro-bowler, including selection this season, and it is easy to see why. He has set another career-high in sacks and continues to wreck opposition game plans.
‘Defense wins championships’ so the cliche goes, and Pittsburgh’s is a stellar unit led by ultimate game-wrecker Watt. He will need to be at his very best to contain some of the explosive offenses that will be present in the playoffs.
0:48 Chase Claypool made a tough catch look easy for a Steelers touchdown late on against the Browns
How they got here: Pittsburgh jumped out to an 11-0 start to the season and looked like a lock for the No 1 seed. However, three-straight losses, including to the Washington Football Team and the Cincinnati Bengals quickly took the shine off of their season, as did a hammering at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
They put things right with a gritty comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts before resting key players against the Cleveland Browns – who they will now face again in a revenge clash on Wild Card Weekend.
Playoff history: The Steelers’ playoff history is well documented, level with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl victories in NFL history, with six. However, they have not reached the Super Bowl since their loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2011.
2020 prospects: The Steelers started 11-0 but there were still questions over whether they would be a threat in the postseason. Three defeats in four to finish the season seem to have given credence to those fears and they have their work cut out to go on a run all the way to Tampa.
4) Tennessee Titans (11-5)
Head coach: Mike Vrabel is heading to the playoffs for the second time in his three seasons in charge of the Titans, having left his post as defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans to take over from Mike Mularkey in 2018.
Key man: Miss a tackle on Derrick Henry at your peril. Better still, attempt a tackle on Derrick Henry at your peril. The Titans bulldozer became the eighth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season on Sunday as he reeled off the 223 he needed to hit the milestone, finishing with 250 for two touchdowns in the Titans’ win over the Texans. In doing so he also became the first player to lead the NFL in rushing yards over two straight seasons since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07.
On the other side, there is an added onus on Vrabel to whip the Titans’ 28th-ranked defense into shape, with the unit having struggled since the organisation opted not to replace retired defensive coordinator Dean Pees at the end of last season.
1:23 Ryan Tannehill found AJ Brown for 54 yards, only for Samuel Sloman to kick the winning field goal after hitting the post!
How they got here: Tennessee opened the campaign with a five-game winning run that included a dominant 42-16 victory over the Bills, who are now considered among the leading contenders to reach Tampa. Then came a loss to the then-unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by an upset defeat to the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals.
Henry-inspired wins over the Ravens and Colts put the Titans in good shape at 8-3 after Week 12, before they were pegged back by a 41-35 defeat to the Browns. They then won three of their final four games, their sole defeat coming to a rampant Packers team, to clinch the AFC South title, scraping by the Texans in Week 17 thanks to a last-second Sam Sloman field goal.
Playoff history: The Titans are in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons on the back of an eight-year absence following their 2008 trip to the Divisional Round as AFC South champions. They have an all-time postseason record of 17-21 dating back to their time as the Houston Oilers, their only trip to the Super Bowl coming in 1999-2000 when they were beaten by the Rams behind head coach Jeff Fisher, with whom they made the postseason in six of 16 seasons.
2020 prospects: Behind Henry, Ryan Tannehill and wide receiver duo AJ Brown and Corey Davis, the Titans have the offensive power to test every bit of the Ravens’ seventh-ranked defense. The concerns, however, will be their ability to stop the No 1 rushing offense in the league.
5) Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Head coach: John Harbaugh is 13 years deep into his tenure in Baltimore, one which has brought him one Super Bowl (2012) and now nine playoff appearances.
Key man: Reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson has had his detractors this season as he has failed to hit the heights of that 2019 season, but there can be no doubting his form during their five-game win streak to see them into the postseason. Jackson has thrown 11 TDs to three picks, with four rushing scores thrown in for good measure.
0:52 Rookie running back JK Dobbins hits turbo for a 72-yard touchdown sprint
How they got here: Baltimore were in real danger of not making it out of a crowded AFC field when they dropped to 6-5 on the season with defeat to their bitterest rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak in their facility that severely weakened them. But, five wins on the bounce have followed – the offense particularly impressive in averaging 30.2 points per game – with the 47-42 Monday Night Football victory over the Cleveland Browns a real standout.
Playoff history: The Ravens are the only franchise to have played in multiple Super Bowls (two) never to have lost one. The last of those victories came in 2012 over the San Francisco 49ers and, while they have made the postseason in half of their eight seasons since, they have won only one of their four playoff games, including being humbled at home by the Tennessee Titans last year when they were the favourites from the AFC.
2020 prospects: Second only to the Bills, they are the team no one would want to face in the AFC right now, looking closer to the formidable outfit that went an NFL-best 14-2 last season. That record didn’t translate in the postseason as they went one-and-done for the second season running, so the hope is they’re peaking at precisely the right time this year.
6) Cleveland Browns (11-5)
Head coach: Having been plucked from his role as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, Kevin Stefanski rewarded the Browns’ faith by leading the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 in his first season in charge.
0:21 Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield says his side were just waiting for their chance to reach the playoffs after their Week 17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers secured their first postseason trip since 2002
Key man: Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have been phenomenal out of the backfield, while Myles Garrett has wreaked havoc on the edge, but this team’s chances of making a mark rest on the shoulders of Baker Mayfield. After struggling to build on his impressive rookie year last season, the 2018 first overall pick has taken steps forward in Stefanski’s scheme, benefitting from a vastly-improved and well-staffed offensive line.
The ball security, decision-making and ability to spread the reps between multiple receivers has been encouraging. A much stronger Steelers defense than he faced in Week 17 will test him to beat them, it’s up to him to do just that.
How they got here: They did it the Browns way. Cleveland held off a late Steelers fightback on Sunday to clinch a postseason berth that they had missed the chance to grab in their shock Week 16 loss to the New York Jets. Having opened the year with a bruising defeat to the Ravens, the Browns rallied to a four-game win streak before losing to the Steelers and Raiders either side of beating the Bengals.
They then claimed another four victories on the bounce ahead of a 47-42 defeat to the Ravens, recovering with a win over the New York Giants the following week.
1:15 The Browns made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 after stopping the Steelers making a two-point attempt to take it to overtime
Playoff history: In beating the Steelers on the final day of the regular season Cleveland booked their first appearance in the playoffs since 2002, when they lost to Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round. They are 11-20 in the postseason and have reached the AFC Championship game three times since 1970, the most recent being the 37-21 loss to the Broncos in 1989.
2020 prospects: The Steelers were exposed enough amid their three-game losing streak late in the season to give the Browns enough to know they can trouble Mike Tomlin’s side. Finding joy through Chubb and Hunt out of the backfield would go a long way towards teeing up Mayfield against the third-ranked defense in the league, but you just get the feeling Pittsburgh will have too much when their starters return from a rest week.
7) Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Head coach: Frank Reich’s first season as head coach of the Colts resulted in a playoff appearance, leading them to a 10-6 record in 2018, despite a 1-5 start. Though his second season was difficult, highlighted by Andrew Luck’s retirement. The Colts are back in the playoffs now where he will hope they can make some noise.
Key man: 2018 second round pick, Darius Leonard burst on the scene to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Since then he has become one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL, earning his second Pro Bowl selection this season.
Despite missing two games, he has still racked up 109 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He is a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators and a real standout player on what has been a fearsome defense all season.
0:36 Colts rookie Jonathan Taylor’s 45-yard rushing touchdown all but sealed a place in the playoffs
How they got here: The Colts defense has been the real workhorse unit this season. They rank fifth in turnovers and with a +10 turnover differential they have been able to control the ball for large portions of games.
Their season has not been without their occasional struggles on offense, scoring just 10 points in a loss against the Baltimore Ravens and putting up just 19 in a win over the Bears.
They had a chance at taking the top spot in the AFC South all season, but missed out as the Titans won their final game, as a result setting the Colts up with the seventh seed and a trip to Buffalo to face the Bills.
Playoff history: The Colts’ four trips to the Super Bowl have seen them collect two Lombardi trophies. Their last success came in 2006 when they beat the Chicago Bears with Peyton Manning as the quarterback.
They have since lost to the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV in 2009, while their last three trips to the postseason have seen them advance to the Divisional Round, including last season, twice either side of an AFC Championship defeat to the Patriots in 2014.
2020 prospects: The Colts have a great defense that any team should be worried about. However, they are heading into Buffalo against a team who just handled the Miami Dolphins, who occupied the fifth seed at the time. It may be a Wild Card round exit for the Colts.
NFC
1) Green Bay Packers (13-3)
Head coach: Matt LaFleur is in his second season at the helm, flaunting every bit of experience he gained while shaping the Packers offense to his liking in his first year as head coach.
Key man: It’s tough to talk about one without mentioning the other. Both Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have been breathtaking this season. Rodgers finished the regular season 372-of-526 passing for 4,299 yards, a ridiculous 48 touchdowns and just five interceptions, while Adams had 115 catches for 1,374 yards and a league-high 18 touchdowns.
If Mike Pettine’s defense can show up in January, the Packers are in business.
How they got here: The Packers closed out the season with six straight wins to coast to the playoffs, notably dismantling the Titans in Week 16 as they held Henry to under 100 yards rushing. One of their standout results came in Week Three when they beat the Saints 37-30.
0:34 Aaron Rodgers threw a perfect pass for Marquez Valdes-Scantling who caught and ran to complete a 72-yard touchdown
There were alarm bells in Week Six when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed LaFleur’s side 38-10 after two Rodgers interceptions and a dismal defensive display, before the Packers also fell to defeats against the Dalvin Cook-led Vikings and the Colts.
Playoff history: Green Bay’s playoff record across the last three decades has been rather outstanding. They have missed out on the postseason just seven times since 1992, winning two of three Super Bowl trips against the Patriots in 1996 and Steelers in 2010. They have an all-time playoff record of 35-23, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in last season’s NFC Championship game.
2020 prospects: If the defense can carry its recent improvement into January then the Packers have the quarterback and the scheme to at least make it back-to-back visits to the Conference Championship.
2) New Orleans Saints (12-4)
Head coach: Sean Payton has been with the Saints since 2006 and has made the playoffs in nine of his 14 years as head coach. That stretch includes a Super Bowl win in 2009 over the Indianapolis Colts.
Key man: Superstar wide receiver Michael Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week One that has been bothering him all season. He was put on injured reserve in Week 15 in an attempt to get him healthy for a playoff run.
The reigning offensive player of the year is such a key part of a Saints offense that currently ranks fifth in scoring. The return of Drew Brees’ favourite target is a fearsome sight for opposition defenses. If he is fully healthy then, Thomas will aid Alvin Kamara in taking the Saints offense to another level at just the right time.
However, they turned to Taysom Hill, who kept them on track with two wins against the Atlanta Falcons either side of a victory over the Denver Broncos. Their path to the first-round bye was blocked though by back-to-back tough losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
But a crushing victory over the Minnesota Vikings – featuring six TDs from Kamara – and a further emphatic win over the Carolina Panthers, has given them plenty of momentum heading into Wild Card weekend.
Playoff history: The Saints have won the Super Bowl once – a 31-17 win over the Colts 11 years ago. Since then, their postseason performances have been somewhat disappointing and not without controversy.
Their past three playoff defeats included the ‘Minneapolis Miracle’, some questionable calls from the officials in an NFC Championship loss to the Los Angeles Rams and then further disappointment in 2019 when a Kyle Rudolph touchdown reception in overtime saw them fall to the Vikings once more.
2020 prospects: The Saints still boasted an impressive offense despite missing Brees and Thomas for large parts of the season. Combine that with a strong defense, they are a team no one would want to face. They are certainly contenders to make it to the Championship game, but they may regret that it won’t be in their building.
3) Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
Head coach: In advancing in 2020, Pete Carroll has now reached the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons as head coach of the Seahawks, winning the NFC West title on five occasions. Can he make it to the Super Bowl for a third time?
Key man: Who else other than Russell Wilson? The Seahawks quarterback was in MVP form for a large part of the season, only to see Aaron Rodgers putting up crazy numbers over in Green Bay. His deep-ball remains a work of art, and the perfect route to exploiting the talents of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. His ever-remarkable ability to escape pressure in the pocket has meanwhile kept Seattle in games at times. This team runs through him.
On defense, Jamal Adams has been the tone-setting leader the Seahawks needed, playing an instrumental role in the unit’s improvement over the past month. The safety leads the team with 9.5 sacks in 12 games after arriving from the Jets.
They finished the season in strong fashion, winning six of their last seven around an ugly loss to the New York Giants with standout victories against the Cardinals and Rams.
Playoff history: Seattle hold a 17-17 record in the postseason, having missed out on the playoffs in just four of the last 18 seasons. During that time they have won one of three Super Bowl trips (beating the Broncos in 2013), lost in the Divisional Round seven times and fallen in the Wild Card round three times.
2020 prospects: The Rams defense awaits as a daunting obstacle, but their lack of threat on offense should give Seattle a chance to win this one. Much like with the Packers, if the Seahawks can turn up on defense then they can go deep into January.
4) Washington Football Team (7-9)
Head coach: It has been a most testing of years for Ron Rivera, who was diagnosed with cancer shortly before the start of the season, making his achievements in his first year in charge of Washington all the more remarkable.
Key man: It has to be Chase Young – a shoo-in for Defensive Rookie of the Year honours. On a defensive front that boasts four first-round draft picks, Young has particularly popped, recording 42 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, with the rookie rallying this Washington team to the postseason.
How they got here: Washington started the season 2-7, quite some distance from any potential playoff place, and with those two victories coming against divisional opponents in a dismal NFC East.
5:28 Highlights of the Week 17 clash between Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles
Back-to-back wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys followed, but the NFL world really took note when they inflicted a first defeat on an 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers side in Week 13.
Suddenly pegged as favourites for the division at 6-7, Washington stumbled again a little down the stretch before benefitting from facing a very forthcoming Philadelphia Eagles outfit on the final week of the Sunday and clinching the victory they needed.
Playoff history: Washington have three Super Bowl trophies to their name, but the franchise has fallen on tough times since the last of those in 1991, particularly across the past two decades under the ownership of Dan Snyder. This will be just their sixth appearance in the postseason in that time and first for five years.
2020 prospects: Tom Brady and the offensively-loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers lie in wait on Wild Card Weekend, which couldn’t be a tougher test of this impressive defense’s credentials. Win that, and anything is possible.
5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
Head coach: Veteran head coach Bruce Arians is quite possibly the original ‘quarterback whisperer’, renowned for the players he has coached and improved at that position, though this season has seen him plough uncharted territory, teaming up with a 43-year-old, six-time Super Bowl winner at QB.
Key man: There really can be no looking past Tom Brady. His move to Tampa Bay was the most fascinating story of the offseason, and the media attention and hype hasn’t exactly died down since – even if his play has not always been peak Brady during the season.
0:49 Tom Brady found Antonio Brown in the endzone with a 26-yard dart
How they got here: Part of the criticism of Brady and the Bucs has come as a result of only one of their 11 wins coming against a team that posted a winning record – the impressive 38-10 beating of the Green Bay Packers in Week Six. Tampa have otherwise struggled against the top dogs, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, being handily beaten twice by the New Orleans Saints and also slipping up against the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.
That said, this team looks to have really got their act together down the stretch, following up their late Week 13 bye with four wins in a row – the last two of which saw them put up 40 plus points.
Playoff history: This is actually the Buccaneers’ first trip to the playoffs in 13 years, a feat that would surely be garnering more attention if it were not for the Cleveland Browns’ longer drought and the fact that Brady, with his six Super Bowl rings, is steering the ship.
0:39 Tom Brady finds Chris Godwin in the endzone from 30 yards against the Falcons
2020 prospects: A Super Bowl appearance at home at Raymond James Stadium is a real possibility, as is them becoming the first team to ever win the big game on their home field. Arians has already described it as “Super Bowl or bust” for this team so they’re a dangerous out in the NFC.
6) Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
Head coach: It’s season four with the Rams for Sean McVay, and a return to the playoffs for the third time after missing out in a highly-competitive NFC West last year. The offensive talent at his disposal hasn’t been what it was in previous years, but he has still made a competitor out of this team.
Key man: Yet again this season Aaron Donald has showcased his ability to single-handedly swing the momentum of a game. He finished the year with a team-high 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 19.5 tackles for loss as a familiar staple to the NFL’s No 1 ranked defense. With the offense having failed to convince this season, the Rams will be reliant on Donald and company frustrating Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense.
How they got here: It’s been a mixed year for the Rams, hindered by inconsistency that has seen them fail to win more than two games in a row. That said, they have beaten arguably some of their toughest opponents on the schedule in the likes of Seattle, Tampa Bay and Arizona.
Jared Goff’s production has fluctuated, both his success and struggles very much reflective of a quarterback reliant on the system around him. The yards after catch ability of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp has suited him perfectly in that respect, while it is no coincidence that Rams began to look a more accomplished outfit upon the emergence of rookie running back Cam Akers over the second half of the year.
1:02 Troy Hill intercepted the ball at the 83 yard line and took it to the endzone for the Rams.
Alongside Donald, the Rams have been boosted by a career-year from linebacker Leonard Floyd and vital production from a secondary unit of Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, Troy Hill, John Johnson and Jordan Fuller.
Playoff history: The Rams are 21-26 all-time in the playoffs following their Super Bowl LIII defeat to the Patriots two seasons ago. McVay marked his first season in charge in 2017 by leading the team to the postseason for the first time since 2004, which had followed five postseason berths in six seasons since 1998, including a win on one of two trips to the Super Bowl in that time.
From 1973 to 1989 the Rams reached the playoffs in 14 of 17 seasons, losing the NFC Championship game six times and falling to a 31-19 defeat to the Steelers at Super Bowl XIV in 1979.
2020 prospects: This defense can only hold the fort for so long. Sooner or later the Rams have to put it together on the other side of the ball, whether it be Goff or back-up John Wolford. Given their own improvement on defense of late, it’s hard to look beyond Seattle eliminating them.
7) Chicago Bears (8-8)
Head coach: Matt Nagy’s time with the Chicago Bears has been a somewhat tumultuous one. His first season was great, winning the NFC North after finishing 12-4. Two 8-8 finishes have followed. Despite making the playoffs again there are question marks over his position as head coach. Much of that noise has been fuelled by the handling of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Key man: Edge rusher Khalil Mack has been an unstoppable force since entering the NFL. It may be somewhat of a down year on the basis of his own high standards, but he is still a player that all opposition teams fear.
It is hard not to tie the success of the Bears in the playoffs to the performance of Mack. They have a sputtering offense and a defense that has shown up at times. The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year is always likely to come up with a big play that could flip a game on its head and propel the Bears towards a victory.
They reached 5-1 with Foles calling the shots, but the season would take a turn for the worst and an 0-7 stretch left them on the outside looking in. Foles suffered a hip injury with 33 seconds left in their game against the Minnesota Vikings leading to Trubisky being reinstated as the starting quarterback.
Despite two more losses following, there had been an improvement on offense. A stretch of four straight games with 30 or more points was punctuated by a 41-17 win over the Jaguars. Despite their Week 17 loss to the Packers, their place in the playoffs was confirmed by the Los Angeles Rams’ win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Playoff history: The Bears made the playoffs just twice between 2010 and 2020. They lost the NFC Championship game against rivals Green Bay in 2010. In 2018 the Eagles squeaked by on their way to the Super Bowl in the Wild Card round.
5:05 Peter King says he spoke to Kevin Stefanski after the Browns made it to the playoffs and said the head coach always keeps things simple and in perspective
The Bears have made two Super Bowl trips in their history, with their lone success coming in 1985 under head coach Mike Ditka. Overall, the Bears hold a losing record in the playoffs at 17-19 all time.
2020 prospects: The Saints await the Bears on Wild Card weekend and that spells bad news for their playoff hopes. It has been an up and down season for Nagy’s team, but do not expect many highs against the powerhouse Saints.
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