The weekly schedule is still in the works, but the opponents for the 2008 season have be released.
Home Games: Packers, Lions, Vikings, Saints, Bucs, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles
Road Games: Packers, Lions, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers, Texans, Colts, Rams
The Bears home schedule is scaring me already. They essentially have 7 playoff teams on their own tur. I’m counting the Lions as the only non-playoff team and the Saints and Eagles as almost playoff teams since they were still on contention at seasons end. What does that matter you ask? It’s a whole lot closer to the playoffs than the Bears were this season.
We get a few breathers with a trip to Atlanta and Houston, although Houston is slowly getting stronger and building a good team. Any match up against the Panthers turns into a lot of talk about how Steve Smith manages to burn us. Let’s hope the Rams stay down and down bounce back next year, as they are likely to do. You can’t tell me a team with that much talent is going to roll over again.
I’m a little irritated the NFL put Bears-Colts in Indianapolis when they already have the advantage and play better in the dome. It would be more fun to put the Colts in Soldier Field in December and see how the elements and home field advantage helps the Bears. Making the Bears travel to Indiana will only set the stage for another embarrasment, likely on Monday Night. The Saints appear destined to be forced to travel to Chicago every year and relive the misery of their lost season last year. Why not bring the Colts to Chicago for a change and send the Bears down to New Orleans for once?
The Bears will certainly have their hands full with great runnings backs with Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Michael Westbrook, Steven Jackson, plus the Panthers are starting to look like a solid running team. The Bears will need all their defensive tackles to stay healthy and competitive this time or allow more career days for running backs.
Oh and I can just see the Donovan McNabb interviews when he comes to Chicago about if he wishse he played for the Bears. I seriously doubt he’ll be in the Bears uniform so McNabb will have the opportunity for another homecoming to put a whooping on the Bears.
I reserve the right to change my picks during the off season depending upon personnel changes on the team, but I’m going to come out right now and say 9-7 for 2008. Wins against Packers, Lions, Vikings, Panthers, Falcons, Saints, Bucs, Texans, and Titans. Losses against Packers, Lions, Vikings, Colts, Rams, Jaguars, and Eagles.