Chicago Bears: 2011 Season Game-by-Game Predictions
Published by Brett Lyons on July 21, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
As the National Football League prepares to shift gears from lockout to training camp, several questions arise about every team in the league. Will teams be able to sign their players, free agents, draft picks, unsigned draft picks and complete trades all before the preseason begins August 7?
Every team will have issues they need to address going forward into the 2011 season, and the Chicago Bears are no exception to the rule.
The Bears, who hosted the NFC Championship game against bitter rival Green Bay, fell just short of reaching the Super Bowl for the second time in five years.
Because of the team’s division championship last year coupled with the annual predetermined rotating schedule the NFL uses, Chicago will have a tough road in the upcoming campaign. The NFL’s 16-game schedule can be predicted well in advance in regards to all the opponents each team will play.
Every team will play their six divisional games, an entire division within its conference, an entire conference outside of its conference and two games against the teams that finished in the same position from the two other conference divisions.
That seems like a lot, so consider it in more understandable terms.
The Bears will play the Vikings, Packers and Lions two times apiece as a part of the divisional games. Since the NFC North division is scheduled to play the NFC South and AFC West, those teams will comprise an additional eight contests with the Saints, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers, Chargers, Broncos, Raiders and Chiefs.
The other two games will come against the other first place teams in the NFC outside of the South. Those teams are Philadelphia and Seattle.
So there’s the list of the opponents, but how will the Bears actually do in each one of those games? Does a veteran Bears team have another run for the Lombardi Trophy left in them? Or will the high expectations cripple the season group, leaving fans disappointed?
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of the entire 2011 Bears schedule, complete with analysis and prediction:
