Perhaps it takes a choke artist to know a choke artist.
Because ex-Bears wide receiver Bobby Wade is pretty certain the Vikings will back into the NFC North crown tonight. He said so Sunday after his team literally fumbled away an opportunity to sew up the division.
Minnesota put the ball on the turf seven times, losing four fumbles in a 24-17 loss to the Falcons at the Metrodome. The Vikings' loss keeps the Bears' most realistic playoff hope alive entering their game tonight at Soldier Field against the Packers (7:30, Ch. 7, ESPN, 780-AM). Temperature at kickoff is expected to be 8 degrees with the wind-chill factor below zero.
The Bears (8-6) can win the division and reach the playoffs for the third time in four years if they beat the Packers, win Sunday at Houston and the Vikings (9-6) lose at home to the Giants.
''We need the Bears to blow it,'' Wade told reporters in Minneapolis with a laugh. ''Where are they playing, at home? Great. They'll definitely blow it.''
The Vikings' defeat, which secured at least a wild-card spot for the Falcons, wasn't the only thing that went right for the Bears this weekend. The Cowboys' loss Saturday night combined with the Buccaneers' loss to the Chargers and the Redskins' victory over the Eagles was a best-case scenario for Lovie Smith's team.
The Bears remain alive for the second wild-card spot but need help. They have to win out to finish 10-6 and need the Buccaneers (9-6) to lose to or tie Oakland (4-11) at Tampa and have the Eagles (8-6-1) defeat or tie Dallas (9-6) at Philadelphia.
Obviously, the best hope remains winning out and pulling for the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, who'll be looking to build some momentum heading into the playoffs after stumbling recently.
''Trust me, every Minnesota Vikings player and every Vikings fan will be watching that [Bears] game,'' Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. ''But this game was in our hands. We can't worry about what they're trying to do. If we take care of our own business, we will get in.''
To stay in the race, the Bears will have to win four in a row to close out the season. They haven't won more than two consecutive games since before Super Bowl XLI. Wade, for one, doesn't believe it's going to happen.
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