Bears finally eliminated from playoff contention

It’s over.

Officially.

And finally.

With the Detroit Lions’ 34-17 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on Sunday, the Bears were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

The Bears last made the playoffs in 2010, going 11-5 and eventually losing in the NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears have only advanced to the playoffs five times since 1992, which was the last season under former coach Mike Ditka.

The 5-8 Bears are far from a playoff-caliber team. They’ve beaten only one team this season that currently has a winning record. But wild scenarios still existed that said the Bears could still advance to the postseason before the NFL’s slate of games kicked off on Sunday.

The NFL had three attempts to eliminate the Bears on Sunday: a Lions’ win against the Bucs, a Seattle Seahawks’ win against the Philadelphia Eagles or a San Francisco 49ers’ win against the Oakland Raiders.

The Lions, who improved to 9-4, just happened to play first on Sunday.

Last season, the Bears’ playoff lives were in their own hands, but they couldn’t beat the Philadelphia Eagles or the Green Bay Packers over the final two weeks. The Bears are 13-16 under coach Marc Trestman.