After much speculation, the Chicago Bears finally released their schedule, albeit to several different Ben Johnsons.
The official schedule was later presented in a much more visually appealing graphic.
With an improved team on the field and on the sidelines, the Bears' expectations for the season are certainly higher than last year. How does the schedule stack up? Here are a few takeaways.
The Bears are in Primetime
Despite having a ten-game losing streak towards the end of last year, the Bears have five prime-time games this year. If you combine that with two additional games in the late afternoon spot, you have at least seven games where a national audience will be tuned in to see new head coach Ben Johnson and this high-powered Bears offense (did I type that?). The NFL likes to showcase its playmakers, and it's clear that they believe the Bears will be an exciting on-field product. The fact that the Bears have three primetime matchups after Thanksgiving lets you know that they expect them to be competitive down the stretch.
Strength of Schedule Will be a True Test
We knew before the release that the Bears would have a tough schedule this year. They have the second-toughest strength of schedule, after the New York Giants. After opening as a slight favorite (-1.5) at home against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football, the Bears travel to Detroit for Johnson's first game back in his old stomping ground. Then they host the Dallas Cowboys and visit the Las Vegas Raiders before heading into the bye. They don't have back-to-back home games until December, which would be ok if it were the Cowboys or the Raiders, but they have the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers, two teams that are accustomed to playing in cold temperatures.
Early Bye Week
One challenge of their schedule in particular is the early bye week. The Bears have their bye week in Week 5, the first of the 2025 season for any team. The good news is that Ben Johnson had to navigate this early bye week last year when he was on the Lions. The bad news is that the Lions had several injuries late in the year. Could that have been attributed to the early bye? The Bears could be a little beaten up heading into the end of the season, where their final five games include three division opponents.
