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4 teams for Bears fans to root against during Week 5 bye

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 9:13 AM ET

A bye week can make for a tough Sunday without football, especially for Chicago Bears fans who are riding high on a two-game winning streak. But there's still a reason to watch the games today and pick a team to root for, or against. Though it's only Week 5, every game in a 17-game season matters when it comes to the playoffs.

Right now, the Bears sit at 11th in the conference standings, far outside the playoff threshold. But with some Week 5 losses from these teams, they'll be able to inch closer to January football even on their off week. Here's four teams that Bears fans should be especially hopeful to see a loss.

Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings

This almost goes without saying, but Bears fans will of course hope to see their NFC North rivals take a loss today. For the Vikings, who play in London Sunday morning, a loss to the Cleveland Browns would drop them to 2-3 on the year while the Lions would move down to 3-2. As for the Packers, they share a bye week with Chicago.

However, both teams face weak AFC squads, so don't get your hopes up too high.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders are tied with the Bears at 2-2 after losing last week and they face the mighty Chargers on Sunday who will be looking for a major bounceback win after choking away last week's game against the 1-3 Giants. This is a key matchup for Bears fans to watch as a loss here would drop Washington to 2-3 as they head to Chicago next week.

In that scenario, Week 6 would be more than just a typical Chicago Bears revenge game; it would give Chicago the opportunity for an early-season gut punch to an NFC rival's playoff hopes.

Seattle Seahawks

Unlike the other teams on this list, the Seahawks don't play an AFC team so their loss would still help an NFC playoff contender. But their opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are pretty firmly in control of the NFC South and there seems to be no serious challenge to them in their division, so the Bears shouldn't have to worry about competing with them for a Wild Card slot.

The Seahawks, however, have roared out to a 3-1 start. A loss here would drop them to 3-2, well within striking distance for Chicago.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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