With bated breath and a sense of cautious optimism, Bears fans braved the biting cold to descend on Chicago sports bars Sunday and see their team take on the Green Bay Packers — a match that would end in a loss of the NFC North division lead for the Bears but still leave them in a strong playoff position during a surprising first winning season since 2018.

Even after the Packers scored their second touchdown of the afternoon in the second quarter, Bears fan Rachelle Catayong wasn’t too worried. She sat at the bar at Murphy’s Bleachers in Wrigleyville, its walls covered in baseball memorabilia, ornaments and Christmas lights.

“The fourth quarter is the only quarter that matters,” she said. This season, the 9-4 Bears have shown a knack for winning close games with last-minute plays that ha

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