Gould’s OT kick keeps Bears in contention; help is needed

December 13, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

LAKE FOREST (AP) — Robbie Gould had one request after his big moment: a little help, please.

Gould came through in a big way for the Bears on Thursday, kicking the winning field goal in overtime to lift Chicago to a 27-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints after he tied it on the final play of regulation.

Now, with the Bears eyeing a playoff spot, he hopes the Arizona Cardinals pitch in when they meet the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

“I’ll be watching Minnesota, and hopefully, we get a little help,” Gould said.

Although they’re a half-game behind the Vikings in the NFC North and a half-game out of the wild card, the Bears’ best shot at the playoffs is to win the division. And the odds of that aren’t great because Minnesota holds the tiebreaker.

Either way, coach Lovie Smith is convinced the Bears (8-6) will get to the postseason if they win their remaining two games, even though there’s no guarantee.

“Most teams that get 10 wins get into the playoffs,” he said Friday. “That’s the best we can do.”

Chicago would still have a mathematical shot at the wild card with a loss, but the odds are slim at best, even if it beats Green Bay and Houston on Dec. 28. In that case, the Bears would need four of these five scenarios to play out:

• Washington to lose one of its three remaining games.

• Philadelphia to lose one of its last three.

• Atlanta to drop two of three.

• Dallas to lose two of three.

• Tampa Bay to lose its final three games.

With so many teams standing in the way of the wild card, it’s no surprise the Bears are rooting hard for anyone who plays Minnesota — a list that includes Atlanta and the New York Giants.