Bears make it clear they won’t take Week 18 matchup vs. Lions lightly

Don’t worry, Chicago Bears fans, you’re getting another week of Caleb Williams and the team’s top players in Week 18’s season finale against the Detroit Lions.

At least, we should see them in some capacity on Sunday.

Sure, the Bears don’t have much to play for. They’ve already locked up the NFC North, and the No. 1 seed in the NFC is out of reach.

The Bears will host a playoff game at Soldier Field regardless of Week 18’s outcome, and if coach Ben Johnson wanted to play it safe, he’d sit his key players and gain an extra week of rest before the games really count.

But, he won’t.

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Instead, the Bears are playing to win.

“We’re playing to win this week,” Johnson said.

Indeed, there’s still some wiggle room between Johnson’s words. Every player who steps onto an NFL field plays to win. Every coach coaches to win. But sometimes, you play to win with a backup who might otherwise not see regular-season action.

While I do believe the Bears will play their starters to begin the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a quick swap for second- and third-teamers. Johnson could play this like a preseason game; keep his main guys in game shape while protecting them from injury, too.

That would be the smart play.