Much of Matt Eberflus' first two years as Bears coach has been dominated by streaks.
They weren't winning streaks.
They had the big one, the 14-game losing streak. They had a 12-game NFC North losing streak. They went 28 games under Eberflus before they won consecutive games.
They still haven't won more than two straight under Eberflus.
The 2024 schedule came out on Wednesday and the schedule for an improved team offers golden opportunities to build winning streaks, the kind that can propel a team toward the playoffs.
Whether a team with a rookie quarterback can accomplish this is the big question before the Bears and Eberflus. They have no choice. This is the path they've taken.
It's on Caleb Williams' arm now.
Here's a game-by-game look at the 2024 Bears season with a call on who wins each game and whether to expect a postseason game for the Bears for the first time since the 2020 season.
Sept. 8: Bears 24, Titans 17
At Soldier Field
The Derrick Henry age is over. Titans QB Will Levis is in his 10th start at quarterback and has a few more targets than in the past. Offensive lines are not built overnight and Tennessee last year got its quarterbacks sacked 64 times. Montez Sweat should control the line of scrimmage and the Bears defense sets up Williams, who won't be expected to dominate from the start.
Sept. 15: Texans 28, Bears 17
At Houston
The Texans' multifaceted passing attack should be able to handle Matt Eberflus' zone defensive schemes and Danielle Hunter gives Houston a pass rusher who has given the Bears fits in the past when Justin Fields was quarterback. The Bears offense is still forming and will be under the gun to try and keep up with a playoff team.
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BEARS SCHEDULE IS OUT AND IT'S CALEB WILLIAMS-FRIENDLY
BEARS CHANCES OF DODGING HARD KNOCKS DIMINISHED GOING FORWARD
WHERE BEARS RANK IN MILEAGE TRAVELED WITH 2024 SCHEDULE
Sept. 22: Bears 23, Colts 20
At Indianapolis
Anthony Richardson returns for the Colts from last year's injury and although he has generally been praised for his rookie play, he completed only 59.5% of his passes. Richardson will come into this game with barely more experience than Williams. He ran it 25 times in three-plus games and running quarterbacks generally don't fare well against the Bears' zone approach with all eyes in coverage on the passer. Expect Williams to benefit from his own running game in this one as the Colts were 24th stopping the run and had teams run more against them than all but one other NFL team.
Sept. 29: Rams 28, Bears 20
At Soldier Field
The Bears defense has struggled with all the motion in the Rams offense and their pass targets could prove too much to handle. Williams is getting better at this point and doesn't need to worry about Aaron Donald in this one, but he's still not at a level to end an L.A. three-game winning streak in this series. It also helps the Rams that this is a September game at Soldier Field. To them, football is an indoor or warm-weather game.
Oct. 6: Bears 31, Panther 19
At Soldier Field
Carolina's offense should be better than the one the Bears faced last year, but they're still lacking enough receivers for Bryce Young. DJ Moore said he'd like to have a better game against the Panthers than he did last year. Expect it with Williams given plenty of time to throw. Without Brian Burns, Carolina's defense is a real question.
Oct. 13: Jaguars 27, Bears 20
At London
The Jaguars are getting this London thing down well now. They won both games over there last year, toppling Buffalo and Atlanta. Now they'll have games there in successive weeks and are used to this situation. The Bears haven't been there since 2018. A younger team without that experience should find this travel and disruption tough to handle, particularly on offense.
Oct. 27: Bears 31, Commanders 17
At Washington
Coming out of the bye, the Bears offense has seemed ready for takeoff and their defense continues to play solid ball. The Commanders were no match last year and Jayden Daniels is going to find out the hard way what happens to a rookie quarterback when he isn't supported on the offensive line, in the backfield and at receiver the way the Bears have with Caleb Williams.
Nov. 3: Bears 23, Cardinals 16
At Arizona
The Cardinals should do better at home than last year when the Bears dominated them at Soldier Field, even with Williams capable of striking through the air. The Cardinals made plenty of offseason changes and had a long way to go to support Kyler Gordon better. Jonathan Gannon is a defensive coach but his team finished last in the NFL in rushing defense and 31st in points allowed. Williams and D'Andre Swift should do enough to get the Bears past a Cardinals offense that had almost as far to go as its defense.
Nov. 10: Bears 34, Patriots 16
At Soldier Field
Drake Maye is going into a situation with the Patriots almost as bad as the one in Washington. The Bill Belichick era may have ended with too many losses but the Patriots are nowhere near ready to turn things around. This one has plenty of interceptions by Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Co. all over it. The Bears win three straight for the first time and improve to
Nov. 17: Bears 19, Packers 17
At Soldier Field
The Bears need a signature win to certify their improvement and they couldn't pick a better team to do it against. The Packers have had flowers thrown at their feet all offseason as they've been called a contender. What people forget is they were 6-8 after losing to Tampa Bay and struggled to beat Carolina to start a three-game winning streak just to make the playoffs at 9-8. They beat the Vikings, who had fallen apart at that point without a quarterback, and then the Bears, who had no incentive to win the game after being eliminated. No one can deny Green Bay's impressive win over Dallas in the playoffs, but it seems the Cowboys make a habit of disappointing against whoever they play in postseason. The Bears are ready on defense to stop Jordan Love and the combination of their running game, Williams' arm and Cairo Santos get the job done at home for an 7-3 record.
Nov. 24: Bears 26, Vikings 17
At Soldier Field
Kirk Cousins will be missed in Minnesota, make no mistake. Sam Darnold will be on the bench at this point and it's in the hands of JJ McCarthy, who isn't going to be able to handle Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds and the Bears defense. Expect a defensive score in this one. Minnesota's defense, with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, can keep them in games but the Vikings' lack of a running game and the same old questions about pass coverage lead to a Bears win and 8-3 start.
Nov. 28: Lions 28, Bears 20
At Detroit
It's going to get much tougher for the Bears now. What was surprising last year in two games with Detroit was how the Bears defensive front controlled play in both games. They did it against an offensive line rated the best in the league. Yet, the Bears defensive line has been graded worst in the league by Pro Football Focus. Expect Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to come up with a different approach emphasizing the run more, because what he did last year against Eberflus' defense just didn't work. This one being a short work week on Turkey Day, and indoors, favors Jared Goff.
Dec. 8: 49ers 33, Bears 14
At. San Francisco
Trips to San Francisco in December or any other time normally don't go well for the Bears. They have won two straight there but before that they lost six straight. The 49ers and Brock Purdy have exactly what an offense needs to dismantle the Bears defense. They can be physical with the running game, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and also with passes to Christian MCCaffrey. The way to beat the cover-2 style best is throw to the backs under the coverage and let them take it to the linebackers. A bad matchup for the Bears.
Dec. 16: Vikings 23, Bears 19
At Minneapolis
It will be different in a rematch at the noisy dome on Monday Night Football. The Bears won't be able to handle both Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson and Minnesota will do better indoors and with handling Sweat and the Bears rush. With three straight losses, the Bears are in danger of missing the playoffs at 8-6 if they can't turn it around.
Dec. 22: Bears 27, Lions 14
At Soldier Field
The Bears learned how to win at home last year when they won five straight. They'll rely on their big cold-weather edge over Goff, who freezes like water when temperatures reach 32 degrees. The running game and pass rush give Caleb Williams the chance to make some big throws in the red zone to Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett in this one as the Bears stop the losing streak and set themselves up for a game that can clinch a wild card berth for them.
Dec. 26: Bears 31, Seahawks 16
At Soldier Field
Williams and the passing game kick into gear and the defense dominates as Seattle is forced to come to Chicago on a short work week and play with no incentive. That's not a combination that works often in December and January. The Bears clinch a wild card spot at 10-6 and the Green Bay game only means the chance for a better seed.
Jan. 4/5: Packers 19, Bears 17
At Green Bay
The Packers return the favor in a tight, physical game and leave the Bears at 10-7, their first winning season since 2018. Green Bay's passing game pulls it out at the end with a final drive. As usual, Montez Sweat is taken off the field for a key play or two in the drive for rest and Eberflus has to answer for this.
Final Record: 10-7
A 10-7 Bears team with a rookie quarterback normally wouldn't be expected to do much in the postseason, but the Packers won a playoff game last year at 9-8. Then again, they only beat the Cowboys.
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