2025 Schedule/Opponents - Oh boy

[Bears4Ever_34]

Nightmare scenario is taking shape. Lions and Packers both look like they're going to win. Bears could be the first team to miss the playoffs in the new format with 11 wins. It's going to take at least 12 now.

[adam]

12 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Nightmare scenario is taking shape. Lions and Packers both look like they're going to win. Bears could be the first team to miss the playoffs in the new format with 11 wins. It's going to take at least 12 now.

Neither game is over yet, Lions up by 4, Rams ball.  Packers up by 2. A lot of time left in both games.

Also, other teams have some tough schedules as well. SEA has LAR, @CAR, then @SF. GB has @CHI, BAL, then @MIN. SF has @IND, CHI, then SEA. DET has PIT, @MIN, then @CHI.

[adam]

Rams scored, up by 3, Broncos force a punt, now have the ball down by 2.

There is still a good chance that GB, DET, and SEA all lose. 

[adam]

34 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Nightmare scenario is taking shape. Lions and Packers both look like they're going to win. Bears could be the first team to miss the playoffs in the new format with 11 wins. It's going to take at least 12 now.

Just like that Lions down by 10, Packer only up by 2, but Parsons hurt, which may be the biggest news.

[Bears4Ever_34]

I may have spoken too soon! Rams look like they're about to put the game away. DEN/GB still too close for comfort at the moment, but Broncos are in scoring territory up 1 in the 4th.

[adam]

1 minute ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

I may have spoken too soon! Rams look like they're about to put the game away. DEN/GB still too close for comfort at the moment, but Broncos are in scoring territory up 1 in the 4th.

Broncos up 8 with the ball. Rams up 7 with the ball. Would be two huge game outcomes for the Bears. 

[Pixote]

What a Day for Bear Fans!

Chicago Shines. Green Bay and Detroit lose.

Nothing could be sweeter.

[Bears4Ever_34]

DET and GB both lose! Parsons looks like he tore his ACL, and who knows about Watson. Catastrophic news for the Packers, but the Bears have to capitalize on Saturday night. No excuses!

[ASHKUM BEAR]

23 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

DET and GB both lose! Parsons looks like he tore his ACL, and who knows about Watson. Catastrophic news for the Packers, but the Bears have to capitalize on Saturday night. No excuses!

Damn, ACL is not good.  9 month time table. Hate to see great players go down but when its a packer, and one they gave a haul for, it's a little bit okay.

[Mongo3451]

3 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

DET and GB both lose! Parsons looks like he tore his ACL, and who knows about Watson. Catastrophic news for the Packers, but the Bears have to capitalize on Saturday night. No excuses!

It looked more like a hyperextension to me.  We'll see.  I wish him the best.

[AZ54]

9 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

It looked more like a hyperextension to me.  We'll see.  I wish him the best.

And I thought it was an MCL that gave way. 

[Mongo3451]

48 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

And I thought it was an MCL that gave way. 

👍🏽

[Stinger226]

We can only play the players the other team puts on the field. It's about wins and if we have an easier path, so be it.

[adam]

On 5/1/2025 at 8:47 AM, adam said:

Revisiting the schedule, now post-draft.

Right off the bat, I will say the Bears split the division, but that could go plus or minus a win, so at worst 2-4, at best 4-2.

Home
DET - W
GB - W
MIN - W
DAL  - L (Really depends on which DAL team shows up, could go either way)
NYG - W (Feels like an easy win)
CLE - W (CLE has 5 QBs, and none are starter quality)
PIT - W (Defense good, offense bad)
NO - W (Feels like one of the easier games on the schedule)

7-1 at home

Away
DET - L
GB  - L
MIN  - L
PHI - L (Super Bowl champs)
WAS - W (should've beaten them with Flus)
BAL - L (Tough matchup)
CIN - W (Feels like a shootout in the making)
SF - L (This game could go either way, give the edge to SF right now)
LVR - W (Should be one of the easier road games)

3-6 on the road

10-7 record, with probably a +/-3, meaning 13-4 if EVERYTHING goes right, and 7-10 if everything goes wrong.

Bears currently 10-4 with 3 games left. I had them winning against GB and DET, and losing against SF. If they do that, they are 12-5 and NFC North Division winners, guaranteed a home game and more than likely against GB in the Wild Card round.

Honestly, any extra wins, a playoff berth, and potentially a Division winner, all seem like they are exceeding expectations, but seeing how they have played, and what the other teams look like, it doesn't even feel surprising anymore.

[Pixote]

18 minutes ago, adam said:

Bears currently 10-4 with 3 games left. I had them winning against GB and DET, and losing against SF. If they do that, they are 12-5 and NFC North Division winners, guaranteed a home game and more than likely against GB in the Wild Card round.

Honestly, any extra wins, a playoff berth, and potentially a Division winner, all seem like they are exceeding expectations, but seeing how they have played, and what the other teams look like, it doesn't even feel surprising anymore.

After what we've gone through over the past decade, a division title would feel like winning the SB. Time to dance in the streets. LOL

 

[adam]

The simplest path for the playoffs is Bears win 1 of their last 3, Lions lose 1 of their last 3. To win the Division, the Bears need to win 2 of 3 and beat GB. Both could finish 2-1, Bears would be 12-5, GB would be 11-4-1.

These next few weeks, every game in the top of the NFC matters:

THU 12-18 - LAR 11-3 @ SEA 11-3 (Winner is probably #1 Seed, especially if LAR wins)
SAT 12-20 - GB 9-4-1 @ CHI 10-4 (Winner is probably NFC North Champ, #1 Seed still in sight for Bears)
SUN 12-21 - PIT 7-6 @ DET 8-6 (A DET loss basically eliminates them from the playoffs with 7 losses.)
MNF 12-22 - SF 10-4 @ IND 8-6 (IND almost beat SEA, at home could upset SF with IND playoff hopes still on the line)
TNF 12-25 - DET 8-6 @ MIN 6-8 (MIN looks much better playing with nothing to lose, could end DET's playoff chances on XMAS lol). 
SAT 12-27 - BAL 7-7 @ GB 9-4-1 (BAL could hurt GB playoff chances, especially if GB lost to CHI the week prior)
SUN 12-28 - SEA 11-3 @ CAR 7-7 (CAR still has a shot at the Division and would be right there if GB lost to CHI and BAL)
SUN 12-28 - CHI 10-4 @ SF 10-4 (SF on a short week, while Bears had extra day playing on SAT, 2 extra days rest)

For #1 Seed, the Bears chances are not that far fetched.

The Bears need to win out, have SEA beat LAR on THU, then SEA has to lose 1 game between CAR and SF. So the Bears just need a 2-1 finish from both LAR and SEA with SEA beating LAR. 

The #5 Seed (best non-Division winner) would play a road playoff game at TB or CAR. That is the easiest playoff path. 

#7 Seed is playing in CHI right now. #6 Seed is playing in PHI.

 

As of today, it is LAR with the bye, then GB @ CHI, SF @ PHI, and SEA @ TB. 
 

[adam]

Bears next 3 opponents:

EPA/Play OFF / DEF Rankings:

GB T-2nd / 17th (no Parsons)
DET 4th / 19th (No Joseph)
SF 9th / T-22nd (No Warner/Bosa)

3 top 10 offenses, 3 bottom defenses.