Chicago Bears Insider: One Final Look at the Regular Season Schedule

Depending on how you look at it, the Bears have had an “interesting” preseason so far, but don’t let any of their failings there get you worried about the upcoming season.

Remember what happened last preseason? What happens during the preseason seemingly doesn’t have an effect on what happens during the regular season, but there are some things that you can pick out of the preseason that might give you some indication of how things might go when the real bullets start flying. 

So, will the Bears be able to make it back to the playoffs, much less win the NFC North? Do they have what it takes to get through their schedule and make the playoffs?

Let’s find out as we preview the Bear’s 2011 season schedule one last time before the season starts.

September 11th-Atlanta at Chicago

The Bears will start the season off against one of the toughest opponents in the NFC, as they will host the Falcons at Soldier Field. 

The Falcons figured that they got the final pieces of their puzzle for success this offseason, so there are some experts that think that this could be the team to beat in the NFC.

The Bears hope to spoil the start of the Falcons' season, but what the Falcons will bring may just be too much for the Bears.

Chicago will drop their first game of the season against a very good Atlanta team.

Prediction: Atlanta 24 Chicago 17

Record 0-1

September 18th-Chicago at New Orleans

Each time these two teams get together those games usually end up being pretty good, and this game promises to be another good one. 

The Bears defense will have a tall task trying to defend against Saint’s quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of the offense, and stopping them will be the big key to winning this game.

The Bears have a chance to win this game and will have to play very well on defense in order to beat the Saints. Look for Chicago to get their first win of the season with a good effort on defense and just enough good play on offense not to give the game away.

Prediction: Chicago 24 New Orleans 21

Record: 1-1

September 25th-Green Bay at Chicago

One of the best division rivalries in the NFL comes to a head in the first quarter of the season as the Bears and Packers will meet for the first time since the last NFC Championship game. 

The Packers did a lot to improve themselves this offseason but the Bears will have revenge on their minds in this game and may be able to beat Green Bay.

The game will be in Chicago, and the Bears and their fans are going to make things very difficult for the Packers in this game. And this will be the only game of the two the Bears will win between these two teams this year.

Prediction: Chicago 28 Green Bay 21
Record:2-1

October 2nd-Carolina at Chicago

The Panthers will come into Chicago as a rebuilding team and may not be too much of a threat to the Bears. Still, Chicago can’t lie down in this one, and they need to get a victory here. 

The Bears should be able to use solid defense to help keep both the Panther’s passing and running game from tearing them up.

The Bears will win this game and keep making things interesting in their division.

Prediction: Chicago 28 Carolina 7

Record: 3-1

October 10th-Chicago at Detroit

The Bears and the Lions will meet for the first time in a long time on Monday night football, and the Lions are out to prove that they are a much better team than they have been. They have come very close to beating the Bears before and could do it in this game.

The Lions will be ready and excited about playing their first Monday night game in a long time. They will be just a little bit too much for the Bears in this game, and the Lions will win this game. 

Prediction: Detroit 21 Chicago 17

Record: 3-2

October 16th-Chicago at Minnesota

The Bears will play division rival Minnesota right after their Monday night game against the Lions, giving them two tough division games right in a row. 

The Vikings have former Eagle and Redskin Donavan McNabb at the helm, and so they aren’t going to be as weak as some have predicted.

But they won’t be able to stop the Bears in this game.

Chicago will probably be coming off of a stinging loss to the Lions and will want to get some revenge.  Look for them to play some smart football against the Vikings in this game.

Prediction: Chicago 28 Minnesota 17

Record: 4-2

October 23rd-Chicago at Tampa Bay (in England)

The Bears and the Bucs will play each other in England prior to their bye week, and this is a game that the Bears should be able to win. 

The Bucs have been getting better over the course of the past two seasons, but the Bears will be able to win this game and come back to the United States with another victory. 

But don’t rule out the possibility of an upset here. The Bears can’t afford to let the travel and excitement of playing overseas get to them. 

Prediction: Chicago 24 Tampa Bay 21

Record: 5-2

November 7th-Chicago at Philadelphia

The Bears will face Michael Vick and the Eagles once again, and hopefully they can repeat what they did against the elusive quarterback last year. 

Some people are saying that the Eagles are the most improved team overall this season and that they are a favorite to go to the Super Bowl, but nothing is proven until the games get played.

The Bears have traditionally done very well against the Eagles, but with so many weapons and what promises to be an improved defense, the Eagles could get a win against the Bears here in this game. 

It’s going to be a hard fought close game, but the Eagles, with all of their talent, will just get by the Bears in this one.

Prediction: Philadelphia 27 Chicago 17

Record: 5-3

November 13th-Detroit at Chicago

The Bears and the Lions will meet for the second time with this game being played at Soldier Field. 

In anticipation of the Lions winning their first meeting, the Bears aren’t going to let Detroit get the best of them a second time. The Bears and their fans are going to be ready for this game, and the Lions aren’t going to walk out of Soldier Field with a win.

Prediction: Chicago 23 Detroit 17

Record: 6-3

November 20th-San Diego at Chicago

The often schizophrenic San Diego Chargers will travel to Chicago to take on the Bears, and depending on which Charger’s team shows up, the Bears could have their hands full, or they could walk out a winner. 

As mentioned, the Bears will be playing San Diego at home, so they have a good shot at winning this game. The Chargers may not even be as good as they have been in recent years and are undergoing some changes, so they could be ripe for the picking.

Look for the Bears to win this game and keep on positing themselves for a playoff berth.

Prediction: Chicago 28 San Diego 21

Record: 7-3

November 27th-Chicago at Oakland

Will the Raiders be better in 2011, or will they keep up their recent traditions of being a mediocre team that struggles to win games?

The Bears will hope it’s the latter, and with that, Chicago has an excellent chance of winning this game.  The Bears will be fighting for a playoff spot at this point and will know that a win here will help their cause.

Chicago should be able to win this game and keep moving forward towards a playoff spot.

Prediction: Chicago 27 Oakland 13

Record: 8-3

December 4th-Kansas City at Chicago

Kansas City was a much more improved team last year and should have the same strong running this year that they had last year. 

The Bears defense is very good against the run, and with Chief’s having some issues in the passing game, shutting down the run should give Chicago success in this game.

Chicago will win this game and put themselves in great position to make the playoffs.

Prediction: Chicago 24 Kansas City 13

Record: 9-3

December 11th-Chicago at Denver

For the first time since he came to the Bears, Chicago will play the Broncos (Cutler’s former team) in the regular season.

The Broncos are expected to be undergoing a lot of rebuilding this season, and there aren’t too many people that think that they are going to win a lot of games. But like some of the other games on their schedule this season, the Bears can’t afford to let this be a trap game.

Cutler will play some inspired football in this game, and the Bears will cruise to their 10th victory of the season.

Prediction: Chicago 24 Denver 10

Record: 10-3

December 18th Seattle at Chicago

This will be a rematch of last year’s divisional playoff game, and the Seahawks will have revenge on their minds.

How the Seahawks are going to perform this season is still kind of mystery, as they could either be solid or not that good. The Bears will need to watch out for the Seahawks in this game because they are going to want to get a win against the team that put them out of the playoffs last season.

Chicago should be able to win this game and keep their playoff arrow pointing up.

Prediction: Chicago 24 Seattle 13

Record: 11-3

December 25th Chicago at Green Bay

Bears and Packers fans will get a real treat for Christmas as the biggest rivalry in all of football comes back again for the biggest holiday of them all. By this time, playoff chances could be on line, so both teams will really want to win this game.

The health of both teams will play a huge factor in how this game goes so late in the season. The team with the healthiest players will win this game. Which team will that be? 

This game is tough to predict, and it will go to the team that wants it more. Both teams may need a win in this game to either get into the playoffs or perhaps gain better positioning in the playoffs. Look for the Packers to just edge the Bears in this game.

Prediction: Green Bay 23 Chicago 21

Record: 11-4

January 1st-Chicago at Minnesota

Bears fans will ring in the new year watching their beloved Bears play the Vikings in Minneapolis in the final game of the season. 

The Vikings may be a much better team by the time the Bears meet them in this game, but Chicago will be either shooting for a playoff spot or trying to position themselves for a better spot in the postseason.

Nothing is going to stop the Bears from winning this game and getting into the playoffs for the second straight season in a row.

Prediction: Chicago 24 Minnesota 13

Record: 12-4