Vikings loss gives Chicago Bears' Week 15 game more importance

The Chicago Bears need all the help they can get to make the playoffs this season. First, they have to win their final four games of the season. But they also need the current playoff field to suffer some losses.

The Bears got one of those losses Saturday.

The Minnesota Vikings, who began Week 15 with a 7-6 record and the No. 6 seed in the NFC, lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-24, in overtime.

The Green Bay Packers currently hold the No. 7 seed at 6-7.

The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, travel to Cleveland with a 5-8 record. A win pushes them to 6-8 and, potentially, tied with the Packers for the No. 7 seed. At worst, and because of the Vikings' loss, a win not only keeps the Bears in striking distance for the playoffs, but potentially even the No. 6 seed.

None of it will matter if the Bears don't beat the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. As has been the case for most of Chicago's games this season, the outlook is bleak, 75% of experts who entered game picks this week selected the Browns.

Kickoff between the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns is scheduled for 12 noon CST. We'll have all of the game's top highlights right here on Bears Talk.