Simms: Bears make playoffs because of Rams, Cardinals game, not Packers game

For Bears fans worried about their team’s chances of taking down the Packers in Week 17 to secure a playoff ticket, Chris Simms thinks it doesn’t matter.

“My guts are saying the Bears will be in the playoffs,” Simms told NBC Sports Chicago.

The key for Simms is not in the Bears-Packers game, but in the game between the Cardinals and the Rams. If the Rams win, it doesn’t matter if the Bears win or lose on Sunday. They will earn a place in the playoffs regardless.

“I went back and watched the first game between the Cardinals and the Rams… Arizona is not doing well against the Rams,” Simms said. “The Rams’ defense is made to stop the spread and moving quarters. They really couldn’t move the ball much except for a practice last time.

Plus, Simms thinks the Cardinals tend to go in the wrong direction as they approach their tough game against the Rams defense.

“Arizona didn’t play good football at all,” Simms said. “Kyler Murray hasn’t been that impressive the last six, seven, eight weeks of the season. Last week, he threw a very bad interception late in the football game.

The Cardinals started the season strong, going 6-3 while scoring 29.5 points per game. But since then they have gone 2-4 while scoring just 22.8 points per game. Much of that drop appears to come from Murray’s relative lack of explosiveness when running the ball, which is one of his greatest strengths. During the 6-3 streak, he ran for 604 yards and 10 touchdowns. But since then he’s only racked up 202 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

That being said, things aren’t perfect in Los Angeles either. But Simms doesn’t think it will affect the Rams’ ability to win.

“The Rams have injury issues, we know that,” Simms said. “Jared Goff doesn’t play, he’s having trouble reversing… but McVay is a racing game. Everything revolves around the racing game. It’s not too complicated a formula… I think John Wolford will be able to lead the offense.

“At the end of the day, I think the Rams are going to win a defensive wrestling type game. This Rams defense is pretty darn good and it matches the way the Cardinals play football very well.