4. Week 7-At Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a model of consistency that the Bears can only hope to achieve someday. John Harbaugh has coached them since 2008, winning Super Bowl XLVII, and has only two losing seasons (5-11 in 2015 and 8-9 in 2021) in his entire career.
The biggest reason for their consistent success is that they have drafted well under general managers Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta, who took over following Newsome's retirement.
They have drafted Lamar Jackson, Nnamdi Maubuike, Marlon Humphrey, and Kyle Hamilton in recent years. And if you go even further back, they have drafted Hall of Famers like Jonathan Ogden, Rey Lewis, Ed Reed, and future inductees in Terrell Suggs and Marshall Yanda, who have set the standard high and helped build a strong culture that is still being upheld today. Since 2000, they have made the playoffs 16 times and won two Super Bowl titles (XXXV and XLVII).
The last time these two teams faced each other in 2021, Lamar Jackson was out with an injury. Barring any significant injury, the Bears will face Jackson for the first time, who has become a much better passer in recent years under the guidance of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who was a finalist for the Bears' head coach vacancy. And he is going to be a handful along with running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,921 yards last season at 30 years old.
This game will be a good measuring stick of the progress the Bears have made so far against a legitimate Super Bowl contender on the road.