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The Chicago Bears almost certainly need to win out to make it into the NFL playoffs. Fortunately for them, their schedule is a bit easier over the final two weeks than some of the teams they'd potentially go up against in the wild card. Unfortunately, one of those teams easily falls into "trap game" territory: the Week 16 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
As noted by John Mullin of CSN Chicago, if the Bears overlook the Cardinals, they could be dealing with another loss on their record.
A team that spiraled down a nine-game losing streak is usually a doormat. If the Bears regard the Arizona Cardinals as such, they will spend Sunday night explaining a sixth loss in the last seven games.
Some of the reasons why the Cardinals could be a tough outing are outlined in the piece from Mullin. Arizona runs a 3-4 defense, which has given the Bears fits this season, and they boast one of the NFL's top scoring defenses as well. For something of a mistake-prone offense, this presents some real hurdles.
Fortunately, there's some good news. Arizona's strong defense has been one of the worst in the NFL against the run, and Chicago happens to boast a strong running back Matt Forte. If they can get him going, there's a solid chance they could remain in the playoff hunt.