The Chicago Bears will open the season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, which will feature Justin Fields vs. Trey Lance.
Aside from facing their NFC North rivals twice this season, the Bears will square off against the AFC East and NFC East, which includes home games against the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, as well as away games against the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and New York Jets.
They’ll also face the same-place finisher from the NFC South (Atlanta Falcons) and NFC West (San Francisco 49ers). With the additional 17th regular-season game, the Bears will host the Houston Texans.
Here are my game-by-game predictions for the 2022 season:
Week 1: Bears vs. 49ers
The Bears will open the season against the 49ers, where Justin Fields and Trey Lance will headline this matchup at Soldier Field. While all eyes will be on Fields and Lance, this is a game that could come down to defense. We’ll see if the Bears have done enough to help Fields, starting with the offensive line. But it’s hard to have confidence in Chicago coming out of this one with a victory.
Prediction: LOSS (0-1)
Week 2: Bears at Packers (Sunday Night Football)
It doesn’t seem to matter where this game is played, the Bears inevitably always lose to the Packers. And on prime time? Forget about it. It’s usually been an ugly affair. For what it’s worth, the Bears haven’t beaten the Packers at Lambeau Field since Thanksgiving 2015.
Prediction: LOSS (0-2)
Week 3: Bears vs. Texans
Chicago will host Houston in a battle of second-year quarterbacks in Justin Fields vs. Davis Mills. The Bears get the Texans in the 17th additional game added last season, which won’t exactly make for a thrilling game. Wins aren’t going to be easy for either team to come by in 2022. But for the Bears, this is a contest they should win at home.
Prediction: WIN (1-2)
Week 4: Bears at Giants
Chicago will face the Giants for the fifth straight year, where the Bears will be looking to win their fourth straight against New York. While the Giants landed two studs in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal in the draft, this is still a favorable matchup for a Bears team that won’t have many opportunities for wins this season.
Prediction: WIN (2-2)
Week 5: Bears at Vikings
For the first time in awhile, the Bears will be paying Minneapolis a visit at the beginning of the season when they face the Vikings. While both Chicago and Minnesota are coming off disappointing seasons, it’s hard to predict these divisional games. The Bears have plenty to contend with in the Vikings offense, including Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson. But can the Bears get out of their own way against a Vikings team that swept them last season?
Prediction: LOSS (2-3)
Week 6: Bears vs. Commanders (Thursday Night Football)
Chicago will host Washington on Thursday Night Football in Week 6, where they’ll face new Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz. The last time the Bears and Commanders met was on prime time in Week 3 of the 2019 season, which was a 31-15 victory for Chicago. The Bears don’t have many opportunities to win on prime time this season, but the Commanders might be their best shot.
Prediction: WIN (3-3)
Week 7: Bears at Patriots (Monday Night Football)
It’s a battle of former first-round quarterbacks in Justin Fields vs. Mac Jones when the Bears head to Foxborough to face the Patriots. Chicago has historically struggled against New England, but that was when Tom Brady ruled the land. Still, this will be a challenge for the Bears, who aren’t at the same level that the Patriots are.
Prediction: LOSS (3-4)
Week 8: Bears at Cowboys
The Cowboys are coming off an NFC East title and playoff appearance, where they’ll face a Bears team that stumbled to a 6-11 finish. Dallas hasn’t exactly taken a step forward after losing some key players, including Amari Cooper, La’el Collins and Randy Gregory. But their roster is still in better shape than Chicago’s, and it’s hard to believe this Bears roster can manage an upset over the Cowboys.
Prediction: LOSS (3-5)
Week 9: Bears vs. Dolphins
The Dolphins have spent the offseason overhauling their roster for their hopeful franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, including the additions of wide receiver Tyreek Hill and left tackle Terron Armstead. It provides a look at what Bears fans want this franchise to do for their own hopeful franchise QB Justin Fields. With Miami’s improved roster, this game should prove difficult.
Prediction: LOSS (3-6)
Week 10: Bears vs. Lions
Games against the Lions aren’t gimmes anymore. Even if Jared Goff is still their quarterback. But that doesn’t mean Chicago is suddenly going to start losing to Detroit. It certainly helps that the Bears have fared better against the Lions at home, and this is a game they should win.
Prediction: WIN (4-6)
Week 11: Bears at Falcons
It’s a new era in Atlanta after Matt Ryan was traded to the Colts. Now, the Bears will face a Marcus Mariota-led Falcons squad on the road. Wins are going to be hard to come by. But this game is one of Chicago’s best shots.
Prediction: WIN (5-6)
Week 12: Bears at Jets
Another matchup between last year’s first-round quarterbacks, Bears’ Justin Fields and Jets’ Zach Wilson will square off in New York in Week 12. While some might have this game circled as one of the few Chicago could win, there’s no ignoring that the Jets have spent the offseason building their roster around Wilson. This won’t be an easy win by any chance, but I think the Bears will get it done.
Prediction: WIN (6-6)
Week 13: Bears vs. Packers
The last time the Bears defeated the Packers was in Dec. 2018 at Soldier Field. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a home field advantage for Chicago in this matchup. Until the Bears prove they can finally get over the Packers hump, it’s near impossible to pick Chicago to win.
Prediction: LOSS (6-7)
Week 14: BYE WEEK
Week 15: Bears vs. Eagles
Recent history hasn’t been kind to the Bears when it comes to facing the Eagles — whether it’s blowout regular-season losses or the “double doink” playoff loss. Unfortunately, this season doesn’t appear to be where things right themselves. Philadelphia landed some big names this offseason, including wide receiver A.J. Brown and drafted Jordan Davis. At least it should be an intriguing QB matchup between Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts.
Prediction: LOSS (6-8)
Week 16: Bears vs. Bills
The Bears defense will get a huge test when they welcome Josh Allen and the Bills’ high-powered offense to Soldier Field. While Chicago bolstered its secondary in the NFL draft, Allen presents a different challenge for the Bears defense. Given it’s unlikely Chicago can get into a shootout with Buffalo, this should be an easy win for the Bills.
Prediction: LOSS (6-9)
Week 17: Bears at Lions
It’s hard to predict division games, even against the Lions. While Matt Nagy was near-perfect against Detroit, we don’t know if the same will be said for Matt Eberflus. Bears-Lions games have been much closer when played in Detroit. With an improved Lions roster and questions surrounding the Bears, this could be an upset for Detroit.
Prediction: LOSS (6-10)
Week 18: Bears vs. Vikings
This could wind up being another meaningless game or an important one — depending on a team’s playoff push or draft position. If recent history is any indication, it’ll be another game without playoff implications where fans will be paying more attention to Chicago’s current draft order. With that in mind, this feels like a game they’d win.
Prediction: WIN (7-10)
Final record: 7-10
For the Bears, finishing 7-10 can certainly be seen as optimistic given concerns on their roster, notably on offense. Overall, Chicago has a favorable schedule, which is among the easiest in the NFL. Not that it’s worth much given the turnover in the league. Aside from some juggernauts including the Packers, Patriots and Bills, there are plenty of winnable games on this schedule for the Bears.
