Some Chicago Bears fans must be feeling a little annoyed. Their team is finally good for the first time in over a decade. This group feels more complete than anything the organization has put together probably since the 1980s. The 2006 team didn’t have a quarterback like Caleb Williams. That is why people are so excited about what could happen in the next three months. Unfortunately, one unavoidable truth remains inescapable. The Bears have the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the league.
After facing the Saints next week, the Bears face the 6-2 Detroit Lions and 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars in back-to-back weeks. Remember, they were swept by Detroit last season. Then after a brief respite against Miami, they finish the year against Buffalo, Green Bay, Detroit, and Minnesota. All of those teams are at least three games above .500 at present. It doesn’t seem fair. However, Adam Jahns of CHGO made an interesting point. One that should be taken into consideration as we look ahead.
“The road ahead for the Bears will be arduous and full of dangerous opponents but it should prepare them for the postseason.
The Bears rank first in strength of schedule for their final eight games, according to win percentage. That’s life in the NFC North. The Bears have four games against their rivals left but they also have matchups against the 7-1 Buffalo Bills and 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars.”
The Chicago Bears will be battle-tested should they reach the postseason.
Is there something to be said of facing a slew of good-to-great opponents in the regular season? The logic dictates that you are far better prepared to face those types of teams in the playoffs. The significant jump in challenge won’t overwhelm you as it might teams that faced cupcake schedules. The New England Patriots are a perfect example. They had an uncanny streak of good fortune with their schedule, both during the regular season and the playoffs. Their slate included a Chargers team with most of their offensive line injured, a Texans team with C.J. Stroud in a prolonged funk, and a Broncos team that had just lost quarterback Bo Nix to a season-ending injury.
Sure enough, the moment they ran into Seattle, who were healthy and well-balanced, the Patriots were crushed. I looked back over every season since 2000 with a simple goal. How many of the eventual champions faced a top-10 strength-of-schedule? The answer was 15 of the 26.
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- 2003 Patriots — 10
- 2004 Patriots — 7
- 2005 Steelers — 4
- 2006 Colts — 5
- 2007 Giants — 2
- 2008 Steelers — 4
- 2010 Packers — 7
- 2011 Giants — 1
- 2013 Seahawks — 7
- 2014 Patriots — 4
- 2015 Broncos — 5
- 2019 Chiefs — 10
- 2020 Buccaneers — 1
- 2021 Rams — 5
- 2023 Chiefs — 5
That works out to 57.69% of the teams. So there is definitely something to be said for facing a challenging lineup of opponents during a season. Just look at the 2006 Chicago Bears. They faced what was the 3rd-easiest schedule in the league that year. Is it any wonder that they looked overmatched against the Colts in the Super Bowl, who’d battled through the 5th-toughest schedule?
There is an old saying that remains apt to this day.
To be the best, you have to beat the best. It doesn’t really matter when you play good opponents. You still must prove whether you can beat them. So far, the Bears have done their part in proving this. Both former Super Bowl participants were taken down in the past three weeks. The NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers were crushed. The surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers were held off. All of this has been accomplished despite some rough circumstances. Chicago didn’t have Caleb Williams for almost a month during that stretch. This impacted each of their losses.
He left the game early against Minnesota with a hamstring injury and didn’t play in Green Bay. They are 7-0 in games he has started and finished this season. Combine this with a defense that has drastically improved from last year, and it feels like the Bears are well-equipped to handle what is coming. If they reach January with a good record, it will be proof that there is nothing the playoffs can throw at them that they haven’t already seen.
