Chicago Bears 2011 Schedule…A Closer Look
Now that the dust has settled and we’ve had time to digest it, let’s take a closer look at the 2011 Chicago Bears schedule. The Chicago Bears were one of the most under-appreciated and criticized teams last season despite a 11-5 record, NFC North Title and trip to the NFC Championship game. I’d say that was a pretty solid season.
The 2011 NFL schedule makers did the Chicago Bears no favors. The first three contests will feature the 2010 NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons at home, the 2010 Super Champion New Orleans Saints on the road and a home contest with the 2011 Super Champion Green Bay Packers. The Chicago Bears could easily start the season 0-3 and dig themselves into a deep hole. Everyone expects these three squads to be top teams in the NFC, so the Chicago Bears will be tested early. We will know a lot about this team after the first three games.
After a home contest with the Panthers, the Chicago Bears travel to Detroit for a Monday night contest. This is historical because it is the first time since October 8, 2001 that the Detroit Lions will be on the Monday night stage (remember, Detroit hosts a Thanksgiving Day game every year). This will be great for Detroit, but problematic for the Chicago Bears. This game could end up being a nightmare. The Lions are a much-improved football team, and playing on Monday night validates it.
Just because the NFL knows how much I love night games, they’ve decided to bless me with the Vikings at home the following Sunday night. Of course, after that, the Chicago Bears will play at noon in London against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (although this could be kabashed if the Collective Bargaining Agreement isn’t completed before the beginning of August). Just like the three beginning games are going to be difficult, the stretch leading into the bye week isn’t exactly a walk-in-the-park either.
Of course, another Monday night contest awaits the Chicago Bears after the bye week. The Bears will play in Philadelphia against the Eagles. A home contest with the Lions will be the last of the NFC we see for four more weeks. The Chargers will visit Soldier Field followed by a trip to Oakland before beginning December at home with the Chiefs and closing out this stretch in a match-up on-the-road with Denver. While the AFC West is a crazy group of teams, playing at Denver isn’t going to be a pretty scene for Jay Cutler. I am sure they’ll be waiting.
After the Chicago Bears close out the home schedule in a playoff rematch with the Seattle Seahawks, they travel to Green Bay for a Sunday Night contest with the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Night (although this can change if the game becomes meaningless). and a New Years’ Day game with the Minnesota Vikings (although this can change too).
I’m not a schedule ranking expert, but according to ESPN, the Chicago Bears have the 11th toughest schedule in the NFC based on the winning percentage of teams from last season. I would rather use the old eye test. This isn’t an easy schedule. There are many factors including start times and travel that make this even more difficult. While I would like to say the Chicago Bears are a good football team and will overcome this, it sets up to be a difficult season for the Chicago Bears. At this point, and I hope I am wrong, I cannot see the Chicago Bears making the playoffs. There are too many factors that will hurt their chances.
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Chicago Bears 2011 Schedule
The 2010 NFC North Champion Chicago Bears will be tested early along with some other compelling match-ups in 2011. They open the 2011 season at home with the Atlanta Falcons on September 11th. Their next two contests are against the last two defending Super Bowl champions in New Orleans (9/18) and home against the Green Bay Packers (9/25). They’ll be no excuses of an easy schedule…The Chicago Bears will need to earn their stripes.
October opens with Cam Newton’s most-likely team Carolina at home (10/2). The Chicago Bears first Monday night contest will be on the road against the much-improved Detroit Lions (10/10) and then home the following Sunday evening against the Vikings (10/16). The Buccaneers contest (10/23) will be played in London the following week unless the lock-out isn’t over by the beginning of August. If not, it’s Tampa. A bye-week will close out October.
The Bears open November in Philadelphia on Monday night (11/7). The following week will feature a home-rematch with the Lions (11/13). In the next four weeks, the Chicago Bears will play the AFC West portion of the schedule. The Chargers will visit Soldier Field (11/20) and the month will close out in Oakland (11/27).
The Chiefs will open December in Chicago (12/4). The following week will be the regular season homecoming for Jay Cutler in Denver (12/11). Think he’ll be booed? The Chicago Bears will close out the home portion of their schedule against in a playoff rematch against the Seahawks (12/18). The final two games give Chicago Bears fans two holiday division contests. Christmas night will be in Green Bay (although this could change) and then the Chicago Bears will close out in Minnesota on New Years Day.
I know one thing…this will not be an easy schedule. But the Chicago Bears will have a lot to prove on whether or not last season was a fluke.
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Chicago Bears Are Playing in London
It looks as if the Chicago Bears are playing in London this October. On the record, I freaking hate this idea and everything it stands for…why are the Chicago Bears playing in a regular season contest overseas? As a Chicago Bears fan, I do not want anything disrupting the rhythm of the season. Thank you NFL for whoring my favorite team to the English.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been picked for this game the last two out of three years. There is good reason for it. They do not draw much in their home stadium and Malcolm Glazer owns part of Manchester United Football Club (a soccer team). Man U plays in the Premier League, which is the NFL of soccer. While the league hasn’t come out and said it, there is speculation that Glazer is considering a move to London. And why not…the wonderful fans of Tampa (with a state of the art facility) do not support the team anyway.
Meanwhile, what Glazer and the NFL probably isn’t grasping is that this game would be a sell-out in Tampa. Chicago Bears fans travel as well as any team in football. It would be a nice revenue boost for Tampa. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the Buccaneers play the Carolina Panthers or Detroit Lions? Both of these teams aren’t close to the draw that the Chicago Bears are and the English most-likely wouldn’t know the difference anyway.
Let’s look at this another way…The Premier League doesn’t send its teams over here for regular season matches, so why does the NFL feel the need to do the same thing? I am not saying this as a bitter American that loves soccer, I am saying this because the Premier League seems to understand the importance of not disrupting the flow of a season.
You can call me selfish or a nationalist, but I want American Football to play its meaningful games in the United States. Follow the model of the Premier League and do not play games that are meaningful anywhere else but at home.
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Chicago Bears 2011 Preseason Schedule and Overseas Football
The Chicago Bears will play five preseason games this season. The Bears are opening the preseason on August 7th in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The schedule will proceed as follows…
August 13 Buffalo
August 22 @NY Giants
August 27 @Titans
September 1 Cleveland Browns
For some reason, the league cannot get enough of Bears vs. Browns preseason football. I know I sure can!
In despite the folks on a national level not giving the Chicago Bears credit for being an elite franchise news, the Bears are rumored to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London during October. According to sources, it will be a home game for Tampa Bay because they fail to sellout home games and the league wants one of its premier franchises on display in the Chicago Bears. Stay tuned…
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Chicago Bears Schedule 2011
The NFL released what the Chicago Bears schedule will look like if they actually play next season and if the format remains 16 games (there hasn’t even been a discussion of where the two additional teams will come from). The Bears will see the AFC West and the NFC South. Also sprinkled in are the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles.
At home, the Bears will play Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, Seattle, Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs and Chargers.
On the road, the Bears will face Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Denver and Oakland.
Get ready for a lot of Sunday/Monday/Thursday night affairs. The Chicago Bears get ratings, and this schedule has some made-for-television drama. It would actually be nice to see the Bears play on Thanksgiving this year. It has been a long time and frankly, I think the powers that be may actually recognize that Detroit is a team on the rise and the Chicago Bears get ratings. Plus, you know the hype on Jay Cutler’s return to Denver for a meaningful game will also be hyped.
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