I have seen many a Green Bay Packer fan referring to the Chicago Bears and their lofty 9-3 record as “frauds.” I understand the impulse and would like nothing more than to join everyone in ridiculing the flaws of our neighbors to the South, but I don’t think that “fraud” is the right word. It may merely be a matter of degree, and I think it’s fine to call them “lucky,” but “fraud” is a bit much, for several reasons.

The most fraudulent team I’ve seen in recent years is the 2022 Minnesota Vikings, which I covered here. They were amazing frauds, finishing 28th in DVOA, posting a -3-point differential, and going 9-0 in one-score games (plus an additional 2-0 in 8-point differentials) until their 31-24 playoff loss to the Giants. That team went 13-4, but by Pythagorean record, they should hav

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