2015 Chicago Bears Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Chicago Bears head toward the 2015 season with their third head coach in the past four years. John Fox stepped in to replace Marc Trestman, who was let go after a 5-11 campaign. He'll be tasked with getting the organization back on track.

Fox takes control of a roster that's seen a few notable changes from last season. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall was sent to the New York Jets in exchange for a draft pick. That means there will be even more pressure on Alshon Jeffery in the passing game.

The most notable additions so far have come on the defensive side. The Bears added Pernell McPhee and Antrel Rolle, among others, to upgrade a unit that finished 30th in yards allowed last season. They still have the draft to add more pieces, as well.

Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune passed along comments from Fox, who said a main focus will be building confidence within the squad.

"Unless you have success it's hard to have confidence," Fox said. "… I've always started with practice. I call them mini games. Try to structure them that way. This is all about what to do, how to do it and do it under pressure. That is what we do."

Given the difficult nature of their 2015 slate, a lack of confidence could certainly lead to a long season in the Windy City. Let's check out how things shape up following the schedule release.

2015 Chicago Bears Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 13	vs. Green Bay Packers	1 p.m.	Fox
2	Sept. 20	vs. Arizona Cardinals	1 p.m.	Fox
3	Sept. 27	at Seattle Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	CBS
4	Oct. 4	vs. Oakland Raiders	1 p.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 11	at Kansas City Chiefs	1 p.m.	Fox
6	Oct 18	at Detroit Lions	1 p.m.
7	BYE	BYE	BYE	BYE
8	Nov. 1	vs. Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	Fox
9	Nov. 9	at San Diego Chargers	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
10	Nov. 15	at St. Louis Rams	1 p.m.	Fox
11	Nov. 22	vs. Denver Broncos	1 p.m.	CBS
12	Nov. 26	at Green Bay Packers	8:30 p.m.	NBC
13	Dec. 6	vs. San Francisco 49ers	1 p.m.	Fox
14	Dec. 13	vs. Washington	1 p.m.	Fox
15	Dec. 20	at Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	Fox
16	Dec. 27	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1 p.m.	Fox
17	Jan. 3	vs. Detroit Lions	1 p.m.	Fox

Analysis

The Bears are a team with a lot more questions than answers at this stage of the offseason. It's a roster that features enough talent, especially once they add the draft class, to make a push for the playoffs if everything comes together perfectly.

Of course, that's a lot easier said than done. But perhaps the change in coaching staff can get things trending back in the right direction.

It all starts with Jay Cutler. There were a lot of questions about his status after last season came to a close. The combination of his contract and the lack of quarterback depth around the league would have made moving him and finding a replacement quite difficult.

Cutler actually tossed a career-high 28 touchdowns last season. Yet when you combine that with his mistakes (18 interceptions) and his seemingly indifferent attitude on the field, he hasn't exactly endeared himself to Chicago fans over the past six years.

Zach Zaidman of CBS Chicago pointed out the overall numbers:

The question marks extend far beyond him, though. Matt Forte averaged less than four yards per carry for the first time since 2009 last year. Trading away Marshall opens up a void in the passing game they might not be able to fill in the short term, too.

Then there's the defense. McPhee, Rolle and Mason Foster should all help the unit make noticeable progress after a season to forget. Still, at least on paper, it doesn't give off the vibe of a potential top-10 defense overall.

The schedule does feature some very winnable games against the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins. Whether the roster is good enough to win the close contests necessary to push into playoff contention is up for debate.

Fox and his coaching staff definitely have some work to do in the months ahead.

Pivotal Matchups

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Normally, the games against the Green Bay Packers would be featured here. Barring an injury to Aaron Rodgers, however, beating them out for the division crown is an extreme long shot. The Bears are likely battling for second in the division.

That's why the most important games are the ones against the Detroit Lions. If the Bears could ever manage a sweep from that matchup during the regular season, the chances of everything else falling into place improve greatly.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell believes it's a wide-open competition in the division, as noted by Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News:

Beyond the division games, the key matchups will probably be those against the NFC West teams at home. Taking care of the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers would go a long way if they do end up in the wild-card chase.

Ultimately, the Bears are going to need a lot of things to go right to make the playoffs in 2015. The team's overall performance must improve by leaps and bounds. The schedule doesn't do them many favors, but there are some opportunities if the roster does fall into place as Fox and Co. hope.