NFL writer predicts eye-opening season start for Bears that fans would support

We are now less than two weeks away from the start of the 2025-2026 NFL season.

With the Chicago Bears going undefeated in the preseason, including a dominating shutout win over the Buffalo Bills, the hype surrounding Halas Hall is at its highest in quite some time. NFL writerJohn Breech of CBS Sports reviewed the entire NFL schedule and made his predictions on when each team would lose its first game of the season. His prediction for the Bears is one that may turn some heads.

Bears Predicted to Win Week 1 Matchup with Minnesota

While preseason predictions are certainly not a perfect indication of how the season will go, Breech's prediction will certainly catch the eye of Bears fans. Breech predicted that the Bears would lose their first game in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions but has them knocking off the Minnesota Vikings in their Week 1 matchup.

Although their preseason started off somewhat uninspiring with a 24-24 draw with the Miami Dolphins, the Chicago Bears smashed the Buffalo Bills 38-0 before backup quarterback Tyson Bagent led an incredible comeback to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs 29-27. With the win, hopes in Chicago are even higher than they were at the start of the offseason.

Week 1 will certainly be an interesting barometer for both the Bears and the Vikings for multiple reasons. Not only will JJ McCarthy be making his first start for the Vikings, but receiver Jordan Addison will be out due to suspension as well. Obviously for the Bears, Ben Johnson will coach his first game as head coach and Caleb Williams will have his first start under the new regime.

With Chicago's schedule the way that it is, a solid start is crucial to their success. With two NFC North games to start the season, an 0-2 record would be a death sentence for any hopes of winning the division. With the Dallas Cowboys coming up north in Week 3 along with road games to Washington, Baltimore, and Cincinnati in Weeks 6, 8, and 9 respectively, a slow start would also severly hamper the Bears' playoff chances.

Is Caleb Williams Ready for this Season's Gauntlet?

As with most teams, the Bears' success comes down to the growth and play of quarterback Caleb Williams. During the preseason, Williams played in the last two games, playing sparingly in both of them. He was 17/25 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He absolutely dazzled in the box scores, but still struggled at times with pocket awareness and learning when to stop trying to do too much which didn't go unnoticed on social media.

Obviously, this was just one play from the game. It would be unfair to look at this one play and make an assumption about his play for the Bears this season, especially from a preseason game. With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Ben Johnson can get these types of plays ironed out of his game. No quarterback is perfect, but eliminating this all-too-often played tactic from Williams's rookie season would only help the Bears this season.

Read more: NFL writer states the painfully obvious about importance of preseason for Bears

As previously mentioned, the Bears have a gauntlet of a schedule along with the rest of the NFC North. The one saving grace about the schedule is that their toughest games are grouped together. If Caleb can lead the Bears to a 2-1 record through the first three weeks, only one of their next three games comes against a playoff team from last year. The Bears will need to get off to a good start to have a chance at the playoffs this season, and if John Breech is any indication, they'll get just that.