I'm not sure I have it in me to do another one of these. Every year before the season begins, the Bears look good on paper. But then the season begins and they find ways to snatch defeat from the Jaws of Victory. For the last few years, most of the disappointment was because of organizational incompetence. Mostly.
Looking at their schedule and based on how the teams they play did last year, I'm saying they will go 9 and 8, though I secretly think it might be more like 7 and 10. The two uncertainties for me is the game against Dallas and Green Bay at home. SBNation analytics says they win 8.6 games and our picks match except they think the Bears will also beat the 49ers and the Steelers, but lose to the Bengals.
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| That can be 8 or 9 games...or 7 |
A lot of winning in the NFL depends on when you play a team as much as how you play them. Catch a team before they find their identity and it looks like an easy win. Catch them during a winning streak and they blow you out. Or if they haven't won in 5 or more games, you are the trap game.
The Cowboys usually start off good but then get shaky as the playoffs draw near. The 49ers are usually the opposite. The Bears have a tendency to meet a struggling team after they have worked through their struggles.
Anyway here is my 2025 prediction. I'm not planning on buying the expensive YouTube TV package this year. I cannot justify the expense.
Winning the Division:
As always, the Chicago Bears have two ways to make the playoffs: Win the Division or via the WildCard. Given how well the other teams played last year, the odds are not in their favor to win the division against the Lions or Packers. The Vikings are a question mark because they have a rookie QB but they seem to have built a team that doesn't require an elite QB so they can plug almost anyone in and win.
WildCard:
To earn a Wildcard seed, the Bears need to be in a position to win any tie-breakers. I have been a fan long enough to see them miss the playoffs with a winning record because of losing tie-breakers. And the NFC North is good enough that if all four teams have winning records, the Bears would likely be watching the playoffs at home.
Note from The Past: writing this in July, scheduling for Sept 1. If anything significant changes between now and then, I reserve the right to edit.
