The NFL playoff divisional round kicks off this weekend, and Bears fans will be watching without any rooting interest — well, in the case of the Vikings and Packers, there will be a rooting disinterest.
That’s just one of several things Bears fans will be watching Saturday and Sunday as the final eight teams battle for a spot in the conference championships next week.
Here are 3 storylines to watch this weekend in the NFL divisional playoffs:
1. The Ryan Pace Bowl
This one is going to be a hard one for Bears fans to stomach. What’s worse than watching Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Houston’s Deshaun Watson battle it out in the regular season? Watching Mahomes and Watson center stage in the postseason.
Technically, this is the second Ryan Pace Bowl this season as Mahomes and Watson played each other earlier this season. Every play will be a reminder that Pace chose Mitchell Trubisky over Mahomes and Watson. While it’s going to be painful for Bears fans to watch, just imagine how bad it’s going to be for Pace.
2. NFC North rivals take to the divisional stage
Following an NFC North title in 2018, the Bears were expected to compete for another division title this season. Unfortunately, the Bears failed to live up to the lofty expectations and fell from first to third in the division with a 8-8 record.
The Bears will be reminded of their fall from grace as they watch division foes the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers play in divisional games this weekend. The sixth-seeded Vikings will face a tall order in battling the San Francisco 49ers, the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Packers, who looked up the No. 2 seed, will host the fifth-seeded Seattle Seahawks.
By the end of Sunday night, both the Vikings and Packers could be eliminated from the playoffs, which would certainly delight Bears fans.
3. The Ryan Tannehill Show
While pending free agent quarterback Ryan Tannehill will take center stage Saturday night, it’s his backup Marcus Mariota that has sparked discussion about a possible landing spot in Chicago.
Mariota, the second overall draft pick in 2015, was benched earlier this season following some struggles in favor of Tannehill. Since he’s taken over, Tannehill has breathed life into Tennessee’s offense and they now find themselves in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Both Tannehill and Mariota are set to become free agents, Tannehill’s performance this season is likely to garner him a contract extension. Mariota, on the other hand, looks to hit the open market, where the Bears are surely one team that will be interested in his services, be it as a starter or backup.
