Break out the hats and party favors! Today, we celebate the 9TH BIRTHDAY of this website. BN Bears was born as The Ten Yard Line on Jan. 10, 2017. One of our first posts was about a quarterbacking situation that included Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley, and Connor Shaw. We’ve come a long way, folks!
In addition to being in a chipper mood becaus we’re celebrating another year around the sun as a site, the Chicago Bears are set to play in a playoff game TODAY. It is their first postseason appearance since January 2021 and the squad’s first home playoff game at Soldier Field since Janurary 2019. I’ve covered three head coach firings, eight diferent offensive coordinators, six defensive coordinators, and 10 starting quarterbacks since this site launched in 2017. Is today the day we get to cover our first playoff win? I sure hope so!PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Bears vs. Packers — The One That Defines the Season
The Sun-Times has a story on how FOX-32 ended up acquiring the local rights to air Saturday’s Bears-Packers playoff game and how the league decided to put the game between the long-time rivals on a streaming service. I still strongly believe that game deserved a nationally televised audience on FOX, NBC, or ESPN. But I learned from Wu-Tang early on that cash rules everything around me, so it makes sense that the NFL made the decision it did. If the Bears are going to take down the Green Bay Packers, they will need standout performances from their best players — including their All-Pro trio of left guard Joe Thuney, right tackle Darnell Wright, and safety Kevin Byard III. I can’t imagine a better stage to prove you All-Pro worthiness than a Bears-Packers playoff game at (potentially snowy) Soldier Field.PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
The stars will shine. I have no doubt of that. But playoff games are often decided by pleasant surprises from unsung heroes. My sneaky pick to click among players under the radar: Andrew Billings. A defensive tackle known more for his run-stufing prowess, Bilings came up with a sack (of ex-Bears David Montgomery who was moonlighting as a quarterback for one play!), one tackle-for-loss, and a pair of quarterback hits. Chicago’s defense needs the beef in the middle of the line to get a push and cause havoc. Tonight would be a good time for Billings to ball out. Andrew Billings (97) reacts after a tackle against the Giants at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images Sean Hammond (Tribune) has six Bears players who you should keep an eye on as potential unsung heroes who are flying under the radar. What I love about this list is that each of these players has already had a spotlight moment (and in some cases, two) this season. Wide receiver Jahdae Walker already had a legacy moment with his TD grab against the Packers in Week 16. Cornerback Nahshon Wright has had a storybook season that garnered serious Pro Bowl consideration. Kicker Cairo Santos has had an up-and-down year, but I choose to remember the game-winning kicks against the Packers (January 2025) and Vikings (November 2025), as well as his successful onside kick against Green Bay in Week 16. Who’s next? Marquee’s Scott Bair shares how cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon can do their part to help Chicago topple Green Bay. Both cornerbacks spent most of this season dealing with serious injuries. And both had lengthy stints on injured reserve. This will be Gordon’s first game action since the Bears’ Week 13 win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday. Meanwhile, Johnson will look to replicate the season-high 72 snaps he played last week agaainst the Lions. I’m not sure either player is 100 percent healthy, but I’d rather have some of Johnson and Gordon than not have them at all. © Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images My key to victory: Stopping Christian Watson. Someone in the Bears secondary has to slow that guy down. When the Packers beat the Bears in Week 14, Watson had four catches, 89 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Chicago simply had no answer in coverage for the speedy wideout. But in the Bears win at Soldier Field in Week 16, Watson was limited to just two catches (on six targets) and 17 receiving yards. He played most of that game with Malik Willis in the lineup at quarterback while starter Jordan Love was out in concussion protocol. So perhaps the real key is to make life difficult fo Love — and do so without getting penalized! Perhaps the Bears can take advantage of a Packers offensive line that grades out in the bottom half of the league when it comes to pass protection:How all 32 teams stacked up in pass protection during the 2025 regular season ?️@RootInsurance pic.twitter.com/xkZ6NXOToD
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) January 9, 2026 RELATED: I love seeing the Bears at the top of the list. Kevin Fishbain (The Athletic) points out that the interior trio of left guard Joe Thuney, center Drew Dalman, and right guard Jonah Jackson started every game this season and played on 3,437 out of a possible 3,462 offensive snaps. It is a moment like this that captures why I’ve been banging the table for years for Chicago’s front office to invest in upgrading their offensive line. Some friendly advice from Bears players for fans attending the game:PSA for #Bears fans for Saturday's game vs. the Packers from Jonah Jackson & DJ Moore:"When the offense is on the field, go get a drink or watch the game, but just be quiet. Take it easy. When the defense is out there – scream at the top of your lungs. Do whatever you need to." pic.twitter.com/ma8BSNfRMZ
— GNSportsTV (@GNSportsTV) January 8, 2026 The Wiener’s Circle is on one entering the biggest game of the year:If the Bears win the Super Bowl, we will feed free hot dogs to the entire parade (as many as we can give out), and the players on the team will receive free hot dogs at our store for the rest of their lives t.co/xqNy8QkZjx
— The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) January 9, 2026In honor of the fridge scoring on offense twice in his career and Ben Johnson’s trickery, if any bears defender, or offensive lineman scores a TD on a designed offensive play (not a fumble recovery) any time this season, we will once again offer free hot dogs to our customers t.co/o7IHTgIFpV
— The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) October 9, 2025MORE BEARS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad-Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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