2025 Schedule/Opponents - Oh boy

[adam]

If the Bears get both Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon back for the final month (5 games), would that change your outlook on any of these games? It should make all of them more competitive.

14  - DEC 7th @ Green Bay Packers - coming off FRI game while GB is coming off THU game. Both teams with at least 2 extra days rest, but in GB. Will be tough.
15  - DEC 14th vs Cleveland Browns - WIN (Only scoring 16.1 ppg) - Final 4 games, CLE will be in Aruba planning mode by then. The Bears have to win this one.
16  - DEC 20th vs Green Bay Packers - short week, Saturday game, while GB comes from DEN - This feels like a win.
17  - DEC 28th @ San Francisco 49ers - This one seems like it will decide the playoff hopes due to the Wild Card.
18  - JAN 4th vs Detroit Lions - This game becomes massive if somehow the Bears are in the division title hunt heading into this game, but they would have to had beat MIN and GB twice to even have a shot at it before this game. 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Even with them both back, and assuming the defense magically rebounds because of it  AND Caleb stays consistent on Offense I'd say...

GB:  My neighbors/friends are not at all happy with how the Packers are playing right now. They tell me they are playing like a$$. I can't tell you why that all is but one of them said, ever since the Cleveland loss earlier this year they seem to be losing focus.  Cumulatively they (the fans) are convinced they won't make the playoffs.  I feel the Bears should at the very least, split those two games.

Browns...they seem to have been in selling mode as of late and got rid of the aforementioned Flacco while doing so.  Don't think they'll pose much challenge.

49ers:  Not sure what Purdy's and Kittle's return dates are but so far Jones hasn't been doing too awful filling in.  With it being in SF, I could see it as a loss.

Lions:  agree 100%.  This could  be a similar situation to last year's season ending game (against the Packers) only bigger....  50/50.  

And as an aside, I know its already been brought up the similarities to this year and 2018, but WHAT IF we find ourselves in the playoffs (at home) and playing against the Eagles?  Do we keep Santos as our kicker until then or go with Moody? Or call back Parkey to give him a chance to redeem himself?  

[adam]

49 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Even with them both back, and assuming the defense magically rebounds because of it  AND Caleb stays consistent on Offense I'd say...

GB:  My neighbors/friends are not at all happy with how the Packers are playing right now. They tell me they are playing like a$$. I can't tell you why that all is but one of them said, ever since the Cleveland loss earlier this year they seem to be losing focus.  Cumulatively they (the fans) are convinced they won't make the playoffs.  I feel the Bears should at the very least, split those two games.

Browns...they seem to have been in selling mode as of late and got rid of the aforementioned Flacco while doing so.  Don't think they'll pose much challenge.

49ers:  Not sure what Purdy's and Kittle's return dates are but so far Jones hasn't been doing too awful filling in.  With it being in SF, I could see it as a loss.

Lions:  agree 100%.  This could  be a similar situation to last year's season ending game (against the Packers) only bigger....  50/50.  

And as an aside, I know its already been brought up the similarities to this year and 2018, but WHAT IF we find ourselves in the playoffs (at home) and playing against the Eagles?  Do we keep Santos as our kicker until then or go with Moody? Or call back Parkey to give him a chance to redeem himself?  

GB lost Kraft for the season, he was their leading receiver. So their main threat is Jacobs who averages 3.8 yards per carry. That makes both of those games a little easier on the defense.

SF's defense is nowhere near they have been in the past. Warner is lost for the year I believe, and he may be a bigger loss than Jaylon on the Bears.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

21 hours ago, adam said:

SF's defense is nowhere near they have been in the past. Warner is lost for the year I believe, and he may be a bigger loss than Jaylon on the Bears

Ah.  Then I think this one comes down to coaching…and maybe homefield advantage.  With the edge to Shannahan.  If Johnson pulls off the win, he’d be raised a few more notches. 

And how about if Moody were to come back and kick for that game and the Bears win because of a last minute FG?  

[adam]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Ah.  Then I think this one comes down to coaching…and maybe homefield advantage.  With the edge to Shannahan.  If Johnson pulls off the win, he’d be raised a few more notches. 

And how about if Moody were to come back and kick for that game and the Bears win because of a last minute FG?  

That would honestly be cool, but I prefer 10+ point wins where they are putting teams away and controlling the clock for the last 5 mins of the 4th quarter.

[adam]

6-3 now. Revenge game against MIN. PIT looked terrible and I don't think that changes much in 2 weeks. Teamwise, MIN and PIT are both comparable to CIN, DAL, and WAS. MIN's defense is obviously better, but their offense is worse. GB and SF are similar, slightly better than MIN and PIT, but not by much. DET and PHI are the cream of the crop, but PHI is not really playing dominant ball right now. They are 2-2 in their last 4. 

Interesting that CHI and DET are both 1-3 (all their losses) when they allow 27 or more points on defense. Most teams are but when all your losses are like that, it normally means your offense is scoring points, which checks out.

Here is the remaining schedule. If they can get to 8-4 going into the GB game, I really like our chances.

11    @ Minnesota Vikings     - WIN (7-3)
12    Pittsburgh Steelers     - WIN (8-3)
13    @ Philadelphia Eagles     - LOSS (8-4)         
14    @ Green Bay Packers     - TOSS UP 
15    Cleveland Browns     - WIN 
16    Green Bay Packers     - TOSS UP  
17    @ San Francisco 49ers     - TOSS UP
18    Detroit Lions         - LOSS

Still feels like 10-11 wins is the most likely outcome. 

The crazy piece to all of this is the Division is very much in play. The Week 18 DET game may decide the division. GB's schedule gets tough after next week, they have MIN, @DET, CHI, @DEN, @CHI, BAL, then @MIN.  7 straight tough opponents, 4 on the road, no back to back home games. 

[Stinger226]

53 minutes ago, adam said:

6-3 now. Revenge game against MIN. PIT looked terrible and I don't think that changes much in 2 weeks. Teamwise, MIN and PIT are both comparable to CIN, DAL, and WAS. MIN's defense is obviously better, but their offense is worse. GB and SF are similar, slightly better than MIN and PIT, but not by much. DET and PHI are the cream of the crop, but PHI is not really playing dominant ball right now. They are 2-2 in their last 4. 

Interesting that CHI and DET are both 1-3 (all their losses) when they allow 27 or more points on defense. Most teams are but when all your losses are like that, it normally means your offense is scoring points, which checks out.

Here is the remaining schedule. If they can get to 8-4 going into the GB game, I really like our chances.

11    @ Minnesota Vikings     - WIN (7-3)
12    Pittsburgh Steelers     - WIN (8-3)
13    @ Philadelphia Eagles     - LOSS (8-4)         
14    @ Green Bay Packers     - TOSS UP 
15    Cleveland Browns     - WIN 
16    Green Bay Packers     - TOSS UP  
17    @ San Francisco 49ers     - TOSS UP
18    Detroit Lions         - LOSS

Still feels like 10-11 wins is the most likely outcome. 

The crazy piece to all of this is the Division is very much in play. The Week 18 DET game may decide the division. GB's schedule gets tough after next week, they have MIN, @DET, CHI, @DEN, @CHI, BAL, then @MIN.  7 straight tough opponents, 4 on the road, no back to back home games. 

I agree with your assessment of the remaining schedule. I think we beat GB here and lose in GB. Playing in SF will tell a lot about how good we are. They will still be in the playoff hunt.  10-7 record as it plays out now. 

[adam]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

I agree with your assessment of the remaining schedule. I think we beat GB here and lose in GB. Playing in SF will tell a lot about how good we are. They will still be in the playoff hunt.  10-7 record as it plays out now. 

Weather is going to play a factor down the stretch. The Bears have 4 home games left, one in GB and one in PHI. So 6 potentially cold weather games.

[Bears4Ever_34]

There's a strong possibility everything will come down to the last two weeks of the regular season. The primary competitor the Bears have for that final wildcard spot is SF, who has one of the easier schedules in the league, but MIN and CAR could also be in the mix. If the Bears really want to get in, a win against MIN this week and a win against SF later in the season would be the best way to go about securing that playoff spot.

It would really suck if the Bears finish with the same record as either MIN or SF and lose a tiebreaker that keeps them out. They have an opportunity to potentially deliver a knockout blow to the Vikings with a win on Sunday to push them to 4-6. They could only afford to lose maybe 1 more game the rest of the way to realistically have a shot, which seems dubious.