Breaking Down The Chicago Bears’ 2023 Schedule
In recent years, the NFL has managed to transform into a year-round spectacle. From August through January, fans are captivated by the on-field action.
Nonetheless, it appears that the NFL offseason events have become equally thrilling. One such event is the unveiling of the forthcoming season’s schedule. This creates added excitement, especially for fans of the Chicago Bears.
Last season, the Bears had the league’s poorest record at 3-14. However, significant offseason alterations, such as trading the 2023 NFL Draft’s No. 1 pick and securing wideout D.J. Moore, have been made. With Justin Fields entering his third season as quarterback, the team is believed to be prepared for improvement.
The success of a team frequently depends on their schedule. This is a list of the Chicago Bears’ opponents for the 2023 season, along with a detailed analysis of their forthcoming lineup.
Chicago Bears Schedule 2023
| Week # | Date & Time | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun, Sep 10 – 3:25 PM | vs. Green Bay Packers | Soldier Field |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 17 – Noon | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Raymond James Stadium |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 24 – 3:25 PM | @ Kansas City Chiefs | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 1 – Noon | vs. Denver Broncos | Soldier Field |
| 5 | Thu, Oct 5 – 7:15 PM (TNF) | @ Washington Commanders | FedExField |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 15 – Noon | vs. Minnesota Vikings | Soldier Field |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 22 – Noon | vs. Las Vegas Raiders | Soldier Field |
| 8 | Sun, Oct 29 – 7:20 PM (SNF) | @ Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 5 – Noon | @ New Orleans Saints | Caesars Superdome |
| 10 | Thu, Nov 9 – 7:15 PM (TNF) | vs. Carolina Panthers | Soldier Field |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 19 – Noon | @ Detroit Lions | Ford Field |
| 12 | Mon, Nov 27 – 7:15 PM (MNF) | @ Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium |
| 13 | BYE WEEK | ||
| 14 | Sun, Dec 10 – Noon | vs. Detroit Lions | Soldier Field |
| 15 | Sun, Dec 17 – TBD | @ Cleveland Browns | FirstEnergy Stadium |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 24 – 3:25 PM | vs. Arizona Cardinals | Soldier Field |
| 17 | Sun, Dec 31 – Noon | vs. Atlanta Falcons | Soldier Field |
| 18 | Sun, Jan 7, 2024 – TBD | @ Green Bay Packers | Lambeau Field |
Bears 2023 schedule outlook
NFC North is seemingly up for grabs
The forthcoming season might see the Chicago Bears go from “worst to first.” Last year’s NFC North champions, the Minnesota Vikings, are not seen as invincible giants. The Detroit Lions haven’t clinched a division title since 1993. Lastly, Aaron Rodgers, who once claimed ownership of the Bears, is no longer part of the Green Bay Packers.
Make no mistake, the Bears have numerous gaps to address and require many players to rise to pivotal roles if they aim to secure numerous victories in 2023. But it would be incorrect to assert that they have no opportunity to triumph in all their divisional matches this season.
Illinois Sportsbooks indicate that the Lions are the front-runners to win the division in the preseason. The Bears also have odds that are not too bad.
Numerous specialists are of the belief that Justin Fields has the potential to be the top quarterback in the NFC North in the forthcoming season. Should he manage to make the “third-year leap,” it could position the franchise favorably for a shot at the division title.
Bears secure four primetime slots… for now
It seems like the NFL is anticipating a potential comeback of the Bears franchise. The initial schedule includes four primetime games for Chicago, encompassing two Thursday Night games, a Sunday Night face-off with the Los Angeles Chargers, and a Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Nonetheless, the existing flexible scheduling rules of NFL mean that the SNF and MNF games could potentially be altered. Should the Bears have a successful season, it’s probable that all these games will stay in their initially scheduled place. This is also the inaugural season where teams not participating in Thanksgiving games will play in numerous TNF games, which cannot be rescheduled. Therefore, at the very least, the Bears will participate in two standalone primetime games during the 2023 season.
Chicago’s strength of schedule near the middle of the pack
The Bears aiming to make substantial progress this season will not be a walk in the park. Their schedule is ranked as the 18th most challenging for the upcoming season.
The opponents’ winning percentage in 2022 was .497, with a total record of 143-145-1. Nonetheless, a significant portion of these victories are distributed amongst the Vikings, Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bears are set to compete against teams from the AFC West and NFC South. This includes home games against the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. They will also play away games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints.
Chicago, finishing fourth in the NFC North, will play against the teams that finished in the same position in the NFC East and NFC West. An additional 17th game will see them go head-to-head with the AFC North’s fourth-place finisher, the Cleveland Browns, in an away game. As per tradition, Chicago will also compete twice against their NFC North rivals.
Way too early Bears’ 2023 predictions
I’m not fond of making predictions. But I believe there’s no harm in making them at this early stage, as they are more akin to hopeful musings than actual forecasts. Therefore, in this context, please treat these “predictions” with a certain degree of skepticism.
- The Bears will exceed their projected win total of .
- I believe the Bears will secure a minimum of nine victories this season, ending with a winning record above .500.
- Justin Fields will be selected for the Pro Bowl.
- D.J. Moore will register a minimum of 1,000 receiving yards.
- The defense of the Bears will end up in the top half of the league in total sacks.
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