The Chicago Bears on Sunday officially became the ninth team in the previous 10 seasons to go from worst to first and win their division just one year after finishing in last place. It was a monumental turnaround for a team that had posted four consecutive seasons with double-digit losses from 2014 to 2017. In January, the Bears will host a home playoff game for the first time since the 2011 postseason, which ended with Caleb Haniefutilely trying to lead the Bears to a comeback victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
The Bears had beaten a healthy Rodgers only once in 11 tries over the ensuing seven seasons before Sunday, when they held the future Hall of Famer to a 68.9 passer rating in a 24-17 victory. The 10-4 Bears were given 8-1 odds to win the division before the season, and the Raiders reportedly chose to trade Khalil Mack to the Bears (and not the 49ers) because they wanted to acquire selections from a team that was likely to be picking toward the top of the draft…
