Okay, now that the offseason is over, and we're a few weeks from the start of the regular season... The Bears' 2019 schedule is ruthless. Green Bay may be vulnerable, but (as we've seen) week one is the worst time to take that vulnerable team on, because there's the least footage on them, they're fresh, etc. Brand new coach and offense, not having gone through a season of struggle between Erin and his coach to wear the team down... I'd like to think that, akin to last year, the second matchup will be a lot easier for each team to show the talent disparity between the two. @Denver is also vulnerable - Flacco has never really been impressive, and while the defense under Fangio is likely to be top-notch, I think this will be a winnable game. @Washington is probably the most winnable game on the schedule. That roster is a mess, their star LT doesn't want to play for the team, and they don't know who's playing QB for them, yet. Vikings are next. @Oakland is a very winnable game, but they have added some talent. Saints - yowza. Crazy that this isn't a primetime game. This might be Brees and Co's last shot at a Super Bowl before retirements (purely speculative). They certainly have the team to pull it off. What an early season test. Chargers - losing Derwin James is definitely a blow to them, but this is nevertheless a talented team. This'll be another fight. Good news, this and the Saints games are at home. @Philadelphia - well, hell. Would love to not have to play this rematch. Didn't want to play them in the first place. Maybe we get lucky, and they won't have a healthy QB by then. Either way, this'll be another fight... Lions - Winnable. They'll hopefully be fighting Green Bay for worst in the division, again. @Rams - I mean, fuck. While we throttled them in a huge game last year, this is another immensely talented team. Let's hope their coach isn't ready to handhold Goff for this game, again. Giants - Whoo. Hopefully this is a nice break. Hopefully Daniel Jones isn't mid-rookie streak, at this point. I always hate first year QB's, because teams don't have film on them, and they sometimes get the benefit of that. But this roster is generally much less talented. @Detroit - Thanksgiving, four days after the Giants game. Oy. Winnable game, but a terrible turnaround. Cowboys - If they've got their full roster together and healthy, they're a tough team. Not the caliber of NO, for example, but another hard fought game. @Green Bay - Hopefully this is another "roll them into their grave" kind of game. Hopefully it's not a, "Rodgers has the entire media behind him as he tries to Hail Mary his team into a playoff spot". Chiefs - I think they've got holes, and it'll be a very different landscape by the time we get here, but no doubt they're among the best in the league. Another fight. @Vikings - May be to decide the division winner. Sooo... 6 games against top 10 teams. Gonna make for a crazy year. Here's to hoping September 5th gets here quickly.
Week 1 - it's never easy against Erin, never. The Bears cannot and should not be overconfident because of last season carrying into week 1. The Packers defense isn't bad either. I will be thankful to come out of this game with a W no matter what happens. A loss will be just as bad as last season's week 1 loss. Week 2 - I think Denver is undefeated at home in September going back several years. Even in years they've been bad they still take care of business at home early. This is one of the toughest games on the schedule no matter what. Week 3 - The Skins are garbage and yet they've owned us for the last 10-15 years no matter what our record has been. Fortunately for us the Skins are a team that routinely gets humiliated at home on MNF so let's hope that trend continues.
I keep re-reading your post Dline and then reminding myself that we still have two more preseason games... ugh.
I think the Bears will be (Should be) 5-0 going into the saints game. We'll know a lot more about the Saints by then, To me, that is the first big-time pivotal game of the year. And we're at home... If we win that, the next 3 weeks should be Bears games to lose. Not saying easy win, but we would be the favorites. I think the Bears have a very legit chance of being 9-0 going into the Rams game. And that could be the game of the year.
I wish I could share that optimism, but that's okay maybe you could share whatever you're smoking. I just can't do it. If any team deserves that optimistic praise in recent years it's this one but for whatever reason, I just can't do it. Hopefully, if I see this team perform consistently for more than one season that will change. I just think 10 or 11 wins is what I'm expecting now with this schedule, and hopefully, they'll prove me wrong.
There's always 1-2 games a year where no one expects us to win that we win, and 1-2 games where we're expected to win that we lose. Last year the Giants and Dolphins games come to mind for unexpected losses, the Rams as an unexpected win. Don't know how we could pencil in the Giants game as a win again this year, they're better.
Things are getting tougher with a first place schedule but I like how it sets up. Open the season at home on Thursday Night! Get the blood flowing early. At home against a rookie coaches first game. Broncos can be tough on the road but we get them off a mini bye because of Thursday opener. Travel to the Redskins for Monday night game. The Redskins are not good. Plus we get extra day to prepare because of Monday night start. Vikings should be a tough one and off a short week. Glad its home. Mack revenge game in England. Not only do the Raiders suck but this will be their 3rd straight game away from Oakland. Saints should be one of the toughest match ups for us all season. We get them coming off the bye at home while they will be coming off a road game in Jacksonville. The Saints starts what should be the first really tough stretch of the season. 3 games in a row against teams expected to be very good this season and all of which made the playoffs last season. The chargers are next. Good game to have at home against west coast team. We will be home for the second week in a row where as the Chargers will be on the road for the second game in a row. The Eagles game I am looking forward to. Would be nice to get revenge for the playoff loss. They will be home after 3 straight road games. Home against the Lions. Opportunity to beat the Lions twice in 18 days starts here. West coast trip to face the Rams. Will they be a hungover group this year? Tough road matchup. .....Ill finish this up later gotta get my kid to Day Care and my butt into the city. Thanks for stating the thread Dline. Hope your feeling better.
This reads like something my buddy would say. 19-0! Super Bears Super Bowl. The first game will set the tone. We need to beat down the Pack at home on National TV. Do that and the sky’s the limit. They don’t, and I will be worried about this team.
Well, yeah its nasty looking, but first placed schedule so not a massive shock. The two 1st placed games against the Aints and Rams is a little annoying as there won't be any help from the weather. The Rams is on the road and the aints - while I think that game could still be flexed to a night game - its not much past mid Oct so the soft-ass southern dome team won't take the kinda punishment they deserve. The Eagles game I wish was wiped from the slate cos that's a lose-lose right there. If we lose the game its salt in the wound and if we win all I will think is why the F couldn't they have done that last season. F it. Drawing the AFC West div this season is pretty nippy. We've caught a bit of a break having both the Chargers & Chiefs at home, but those are two damned good teams both very well coached. That could easily be 2 L's, Bears are gonna have to play well. That's a nice bit of info. Also that won't be a home game for the Raiders, if anything it'll be a home game for the Bears. The Raiders get good support in the UK but the Bears imo are prob top 2-3. Anytime ive been to Wembley ive seen a lot of Bears fans. Of course this one isn't at Wembley, its at Spurs new stadium with 30k less capacity cos the fucking pricks don't have the first clue how to prioritise teams/scheduling for these games. "I know, lets have the Panthers Texans game at Wembley." Yeah, good one. Assholes. This is so true. We haven't beaten these clowns in god knows when. And its not like they're ever very good! We talk about the Miami/San Fran curses, the Deadskins curse doesn't get the credit it deserves. One good thing tho, as I look at the schedule I see we get to pummel the Lions twice again. Nice.
.....To finish my thoughts in the schedule. After playing @the Rams we come home to play the Giants. This will be the only team we face coming off their bye. Which could mean their rookie QB starts his career in a tough spot. This will be the start of another crazy 3 games in 12 days. Four days after the Giants we play in Detroit for turkey day. A week later we are home against the Cowboys on Thursday nite football. The Cowboys will be on the same rest. If you take in game times we get a slight at vantage I guess. We then get another mini bye before we head to Cheeseland. Next a very interesting Sunday Night matchup at home against the Chiefs. Super Bowl preview? We finish again in Minnesota. Hopefully with nothing to play for. As I stated earlier when you go from a last place schedule to a first place schedule it’s supposed to be tougher. But the way it plays out I don’t think anyone could complain. We play 2 road games in a row only once. We only play 1 team coming off a bye and they suck.
Generally I feel that "first place" and "last place" schedules are overrated with the rotating schedule of facing each division. This year it's AFC West and NFC East, both of which are extremely tough, arguably the toughest divisions in the NFL. 14 of our games are the same opponents as everyone else in our division, only 2 games differ, and that's where the Rams and Saints come in. Unlike most people, I see a big step back from the Rams this year. They were so lucky they didn't have to face us in the playoffs otherwise they wouldn't have sniffed the Super Bowl. Goff is overrated, a wildly inconsistent and stationary QB. I'll take Trubs in his current form over Goff any day. That game in LA, with what could be a sizable number of Bears fans in attendance, is far from the toughest we will have this year. Thinking back to last year before the season started, we all thought that the second half of the schedule was vastly tougher than the first half. We went 7-1 in the second half with the one loss being to the easiest opponent. Go figure.
Ah, thanks for the thoughts, man. I'm up and moving, but still having some residual issues. Just can't turn my head too much / too fast, and it takes me a moment to focus in on things. I look drunk as hell walking through a crowded grocery store - you could get plenty of entertainment challenging my coordination, right now. Much appreciated for checking in, Rob. I hope all's well for you, too, my friend. Loving the thoughts, all. No doubt we're in for a fun season.
