Why the Bears will be rooting for the Panthers in Week 13

The Carolina Panthers have done the Chicago Bears a few solids over the last couple of years thanks to the Bryce Young blockbuster trade. Maybe they can do one more favor that would put the Bears into a position no one could have dreamed of to start the season.

The Bears took care of business on Black Friday when they wore down the Philadelphia Eagles, winning 24-15 to improve to 9-3. The victory kept them atop the NFC North division for the second week in a row and boosted their postseason chances with five games to go in the regular season. But they could climb even higher with the Panthers' help.

On Sunday, Carolina will welcome the Los Angeles Rams to town as they look to keep their own postseason hopes alive, sitting at 6-6. A Panthers win would not only keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot, but it would also vault the Bears to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

If the Rams lose, they would drop to 9-3 on the season, tied with the Bears. Because of tiebreakers, though, the Rams would fall to the No. 2 seed due to conference record. The Bears are 6-2 in the conference, while the Rams would be 4-3 with a loss.

It's a scenario that even a few weeks ago didn't seem possible, but the Bears are knocking on the door of the top overall seed in the NFC, which gives teams a bye for the first round of the playoffs. It won't be easy, though. Los Angeles is a 10.5 favorite despite playing on the road and in the early window. The Panthers are missing a few key contributors, such as cornerback Jaycee Horn, who would have helped slow down the Rams' impressive aerial attack.

Carolina has helped the Bears out before in the offseason. Maybe they can help again, only this time on the field.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Why the Bears will be rooting for the Panthers in Week 13