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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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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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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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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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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However, I’m really beginning to understand why I hate the Packers and their idiotic fans more and more by the day. They still cannot accept the fact that the Chicago Bears are a better football team. They have more excuses than a cheating spouse. Here are the facts…thre Chicago Bears have more wins, more division wins and have even beaten the Green Bay Packers.

Despite being loved by the national media, the Green Bay Packers failed to win the NFC North and may back into the playoffs. Meanwhile, the doubted Chicago Bears clinched the division before any other team from any other division. Kelso can put that in his pipe and smoke it.

As we all know, the Chicago Bears are the two seed and can still get the one if the Atlanta Falcons lose to the Carolina Panthers at home. So at worst, the Chicago Bears are home in two weeks with a bye.

Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers have to beat the Bears or hope the New York Giants lose to the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the New Orleans Saints. 

So the idiots to the north assume that they’ll win tomorrow. However, they won’t. I’m saying the Packers season ends tomorrow. The Giants will be the final wild card team. Then imagine the bitching and excuse making from the Packers fans.

Chicago Bears 34 Green Bay Packers 20

This includes the chance the Bears rest their regulars. How do you like that prediction! I’m spite predicting!

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This now means that at worst, the Chicago Bears now have a first-round bye in the playoffs. If the stars align, they can still get first seed but that would require wins by Carolina and Tampa Bay along with a win by the Chicago Bears. I am guessing that much won’t happen. But you never know. This has been a strange season.

The Bears/Packers game is being played at 3:15. By that time, the Chicago Bears will know what is at stake. The Packers, on the other hand, are playing for their football lives as long as the Giants beat the Redskins and the Buccaneers beat the Saints. The Saints may be playing for nothing, so the Buccaneers could win. The Giants, on the other hand, now need to play with some urgency. If all three teams win, the Packers are in and the other two are out. If the Buccaneers win, then they are in if the Packers and Giants lose. And if the Giants win, then the Buccaneers are out and the Packers have to win. If all three lose, the Packers are in.

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So what do the Chicago Bears do if they are playing for nothing? Do they rest the starters? I’ve been going back and forth on this one. On the one hand, the Chicago Bears owe it to the league to play as if this game means something. On the other hand, they owe the league nothing because it is important this team stay healthy for the playoffs. Now if the Packers make the playoffs before this game starts, what do they do? There is no way for them to improve seeding, so they have nothing to gain.

Now, if the Chicago Bears have a chance at the top seed, they should play to win. If they have a shot at nothing, I think the starters should play the first half and Devin Hester should not see any punts or kickoffs. He’s way too valuable. Lovie Smith says the Bears are playing this game to win, but I am sure he changed slightly after the Eagles lost tonight.

Regardless of what happens Sunday, I think that we owe the Chicago Bears a lot of credit for not screwing the pooch the way the Eagles, Packers and Giants did down the stretch.

Follow me on Twitter at BearsHq and BlueDemonsLair. For the latest DePaul Blue Demons news and more, check out www.bluedemonslair.com. Please show me the love for the Big East’s Biggest Fan at www.mybigeastvolvo.com.

I met some fellow bloggers for the Packers through Twitter (jrehor and olbagofdonuts). They’re good guys but we make our positions well-known. However, despite our mutual respect I’ve been introduced to other Packer fans I don’t respect. If you follow me on Twitter (bearshq), you might have noticed how many Packers fans are in denial about the Chicago Bears.

Here are the facts. You can throw any statistic and scenario at me, but the Chicago Bears have more wins and wrapped up a division title before any other team in football. The Packers failed to beat the Detroit Lions in a game they had to win.

Sunday’s game may or may not have playoff meaning depending on earlier games. If the Eagles lose tonight to the Vikings or next week to the Cowboys, the Bears are the number two seed or if the Bears win out, they’re the two seed no matter what else happens. The Bears are still alive for the top seed if Carolina beats the Falcons in Atlanta and the Buccaneers beat the Saints in New Orleans with a Bears win.  At worst, the Bears will be the third seed. If the Giants lose to the Redskins Sunday, the Packers are in. If both the Giants and Packers lose, the Buccaneers are in and the other two are out if the Buccaneers win. That’s their only chance. The Packers are in with a win over the Bears or a loss by the Giants. The Giants are in with a win and a Packers loss. Finally, the Seahawks and Rams play in Seattle Sunday night for the NFC West. Phew, that was a lot to swallow.

To summarize, I hate the Packers and want the Bears to win Sunday to secure a top seed.

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The last two games have been a big disappointment to Bears fans everywhere. During the last two games against the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears have managed to let a significant lead disappear late in the game. Week two was gut wrenching in week two, but to have the same outcome in week three was heartbreaking.

If the Bears hope to have any chance this Sunday, Kyle Orton can’t afford to make any careless turnovers and Matt forte will need to average over five yards a carry, as in week one. If Chicago can get the run game going, look for Orton to take some chances deep to his favorite receiver Brandon Lloyd and hopefully find his tight ends Greg Olsen and veteran Desmond Clark.

Bears fans should be nervous this week, but hope for a week four turnaround.