Bears vs. Lions Week 18: Can Chicago Secure the No. 2 Seed?
Alright, so here’s the situation heading into Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season. The Chicago Bears are set to host the Detroit Lions, and unlike a lot of their recent season finales, there’s actually something meaningful on the line. In the past, it’s often just been about what draft pick the Bears would end up with, but this time, playoff positioning is at stake. If Chicago wins, they’ll lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC. If they lose, their fate depends on the Philadelphia Eagles. A Philly loss still keeps Chicago in the No. 2 spot, but if the Eagles win, the Bears could drop to No. 3.
This matchup is also the last tune-up before the Bears’ playoff opener, so there’s a lot riding on it. These two teams met back in Week 2, and Detroit absolutely destroyed Chicago, putting up 52 points and winning by more than 30. Now, Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who used to coach for Detroit, is itching for some revenge—not just for the team, but personally.
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So why could Chicago come out on top? First off, the Bears are clearly the better team on paper. They’ve used their star offensive play-caller to elevate the offense, and Detroit hasn’t been able to run their game nearly as effectively without him. There’s also strong motivation for the Bears to win this one for Coach Johnson. After a rough Week 2, this is their chance to show loyalty and turn the tables on his old team. Beyond personal motivation, the stakes for Chicago are significant—they could set themselves up for multiple home playoff games if they win here. And with quarterback Caleb Williams chasing history as potentially the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer and possibly breaking the single-season passing record, there’s a lot of incentive for him to bring maximum effort.
But it’s not all one-sided. The Bears haven’t lost consecutive games all season—except the first two weeks, and the second of those was against Detroit. The Lions, led by coach Dan Campbell, have a history of playing spoiler, and they’ll be motivated to make life difficult for the Bears, especially with their former coach now leading a division rival. Jared Goff, Detroit’s quarterback, knows how to rise to the occasion and could pull off a big game to end the season. Meanwhile, the Bears, with a playoff berth and a home game already secured, might subconsciously play a bit cautiously to avoid injury, which could open the door for Detroit. If Chicago’s defense fails to create turnovers and give the offense an advantage, things could get tricky fast.
Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. CT at Soldier Field, with Fox airing the game and Fubo offering a livestream. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will handle the commentary, while Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi report from the sidelines. Betting lines as of late December have the Bears as 3-point favorites with a 50.5 over/under, but as we’ve seen, anything can happen when pride, revenge, and playoff positioning collide.
This game isn’t just a regular-season finale—it’s a statement. The Bears want revenge, they want momentum, and they want to secure the best possible path into the playoffs. But Detroit won’t go down quietly, and if Chicago doesn’t bring everything they’ve got, Week 18 could turn into another nightmare at the hands of their divisional rivals.
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