Updated strength of schedule in 2024 could spell disaster for Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are at .500 through the first four games of the 2024 NFL season, but there remains an opportunity for the team to go on a run.

While there is a disappointment that the Bears dropped their Week 3 game against the Indianapolis Colt, they have the chance to make up for it in Weeks 5 and 6. Over the course of the next two weeks, the Bears play the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field before traveling to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While the idea of must-win games before the calendar flips to November is often an aggressive characterization, that is exactly what these next two games are. The reason is because of what we suspected at the start of the season, strength of schedule is no longer in the Bears' favor.

The Chicago Bears will not have strength of schedule on their side.

Part of the reason why the Bears' strength of schedule is the second-hardest in the NFL is because of the strong starts that the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks have had. Both the Commanders and Seahawks enter Week 5 with a record of 3-1 while boasting offenses that have proven capable of scoring on any defense.

Beyond the Commanders and Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings have looked like one of the best teams in the NFC to open the season. That is a scary thought for the Bears, considering the Detroit Lions also remain a Super Bowl contender, and the Green Bay Packers could get back on track with Jordan Love getting healthier with each passing week.

If the Bears want to remain in the playoff conversation in the NFC, their offense will need to prove it can score consistently. Otherwise, the strength of their schedule will bury them.