Week 11 — Bye Week
At this point of the season, the Bears are sitting at 6-4, a welcome sighting after where they stood at this point of the year in 2019-20.
For entertainment’s sake, here’s how the standings play out in my week-to-week prediction.
- NFC North: Bears (6-4), Packers (6-4), Vikings (5-5), Lions (3-7)
- NFC South: Buccaneers (9-2), Saints (8-2), Falcons (4-6), Panthers (3-8)
- NFC East: Eagles (7-3), Cowboys (6-4), Giants (2-8), Redskins (2-8)
- NFC West: 49ers (8-2), Seahawks (7-3), Cardinals (6-4), Rams (4-6)
- AFC North: Ravens (9-1), Steelers (6-4), Browns (5-5), Bengals (2-8)
- AFC South: Titans (7-3), Colts (5-5), Texans (4-6), Jaguars (1-9)
- AFC East: Bills (6-4), Patriots (4-6), Jets (4-6), Dolphins (3-7)
- AFC West: Chiefs (8-2), Broncos(5-5), Raiders (4-6), Chargers (2-8)
Week 12 — at Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears (6-4) @ Green Bay Packers (6-4)
Date: November 29th, 2020 — 7:20pm, NBC
Location: Green Bay, WI — Lambeau Field
When the schedule first dropped, this was the game that instilled the most fear in me. On one hand, it’s not super bold to suggest the Bears could win this game. After all, this will be the first game they’ve played in 13 days, giving them ample time to rest, while also celebrating a Monday Night win over Minnesota.
But, it’s hard to have confidence in the Bears winning at Lambeau Field without seeing it happen. The last time we did see it, Jay Cutler was under center, and Brett Favre was celebrating his jersey retirement in 2015.
Green Bay will have some trouble replacing Bryan Bulaga at the tackle position, and that doesn’t bode well against the Bears’ front seven. And, instead of drafting talent for Aaron Rodgers to throw to, they went out and drafted his potential understudy. If you could ever wish drama on a team …
Still, it’s Aaron Rodgers. It’s the same guy that’s won 18 of 23 against Chicago, nearly has a 5-to-1 TD-INT ratio and its 3-1 against them in the Nagy era. The Bears could have more luck later, but against a Packers team winning five of its last seven, give me Rodgers with the cards on the table, and NFC North positioning at stake.
Score Prediction: Packers, 24; Bears, 17
Record: 6-5
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Week 13 — vs. Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions (3-8) @ Chicago Bears (6-5)
Date: December 6th, 2020 — 12:00pm, FOX
Location: Chicago, IL — Soldier Field
In a rematch from Week One, here’s another game that certainly feels as though it could be must-win for the Bears. The Lions come into this game having warmed up, winning three of five, before dropping back-to-back games to the Panthers and Lions.
It’s wise to suspect that the Lions will be much tougher to beat in this one, despite being on the road. As aforementioned, the Lions are super young, anchored by Okudah and Julian Okwara on defense, as far as new players go, and on offense, running back D’Andre Swift and guard Jonah Jackson on “O.” They’ll have had a dozen weeks to learn the nuances of NFL play, which makes them a tough spoiler play.
Still, the Bears are a battle-tested, veteran team that’s itching to get back into the postseason. They’ve swept the Lions in 2018 and 2019, and open the new decade the same way they went out. They get the victory here and keep the pressure on the Packers (8-4) and the Vikings (7-5).
Score Prediction: Bears, 30; Lions, 20
Record: 7-5