After their bye week, the Chicago Bears are hoping they can finish the season strong. Here are some predictions for the final five games.
The Chicago Bears are heading into the final 30 percent of the season. There have certainly been some ups and downs this season. After a slow start in which it seemed everything went against them, they have played much better.
The Bears started out losing their first four games of the season. Adding the final 10 games from last season, they had a 14-game losing streak, the longest in team history. They finally got their first win in Week 5 and have gone 4-4 in their last eight games.
After allowing 34.2 points per game in their first four, Chicago’s defense allowed just 19.9 points per game since. Had they played the same in the first four games, they would rank around sixth in points allowed. They did not, however, but it is nice to see how well they’ve played in a prolonged period.
Now the Bears have to concentrate on the final five games. There is a lot on the line for both players and coaches. Some players want to remain in Chicago to continue to help in the rebuild. They were a part of all the losing and would love to be a part of the winning.
These last five games will be interesting. Will the team continue to improve? If so, how much will it affect their draft position? They currently have two top-five picks. One of them is the Carolina Panthers’ pick. The Panthers are a mess so there it is a good bet that the Bears again have the top overall pick.
Let’s take a shot at predicting the results of the last five games of the 2023 regular season.
Week 14 — Detroit Lions
It will be nice to see the Chicago Bears play at home. Their last two games before the bye week and three of their last four games were on the road.
The first time the Bears played the Detroit Lions it was one of those frustrating games. The Bears outplayed Detroit for about 55 minutes. They had a collapse in the final five games and ended up losing.
The Bears look to end another streak. This season, they broke their franchise-high losing streak and their NFC North losing streak. Now, they try to end their losing streak coming out of the bye week. The last time they won coming out of the bye was in 2013. That is nine straight losses.
Pair that losing streak with wanting revenge from their previous loss to the Lions and the Bears are motivated to win. Additionally, they want to finally win consecutive games under head coach Matt Eberflus.
Prediction: Bears lose to go to 4-9 and extend their losing streak after bye weeks to 10.
Week 15 — @Cleveland Browns
Speaking of revenge, quarterback Justin Fields wants to win this game. As a rookie in 2021, he had his first professional start against the Cleveland Browns.
It was a disaster. Fields completed just six of his 20 pass attempts for 68 yards. He was also sacked nine times.
Then-head coach Matt Nagy did not want to play Fields much in his rookie season. He wanted to have Andy Dalton be the starter the entire season. However, Nagy received pressure to start Fields. A Dalton injury forced Nagy to use Fields. However, he made no adjustments for Fields. He used the same game plan he had for Dalton and just substituted Fields.
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Since Fields and Dalton are completely different players, the game ended the way you’d expect. Myles Garrett and company harassed Fields all game long in their 26-6 victory.
Fields wants to repay Garrett and his teammates. By playing better, he could show that he is a different player today.
Prediction: Fields exorcises his demons in Cleveland and the Bears win to move to 5-9.
Week 16 — Arizona Cardinals
The Bears have a difficult game in Week 16. The Arizona Cardinals currently have the third overall pick in next year’s draft. A win here could put a dent in the Bears’ hope of having two top-five picks.
However, this is a team the Bears should beat. The Cardinals rank 26th in points scored and 30th in points allowed. The Cardinals’ strength plays into the Bears’ strength — the running game. Arizona ranks ninth in the running game while the Bears’ defense ranks atop against the run. The defense should feast on this Cardinals team.
Prediction: The Bears win to finally win consecutive games and move to 6-9.
Week 17 — Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons sit at 6-6 this season but are still atop the standings in the NFC South. They are playing for a playoff spot while the Bears are not.
The Falcons have Bijan Robinson, one of the top prospects who entered the league this season. However, the Falcons have not used him as much as one would expect.
This could be a matchup between the two Texas running backs. Roschon Johnson backed Robinson up there. He wants to show that he is ready to carry an offense himself. He was on his way there when he suffered a concussion. He now seems over that and should continue to show how well he could play.
Prediction: The Bears play tough but the Falcons are playing for a playoff appearance. The Bears lose to go to 6-10.
Week 18 — @Green Bay Packers
It is so difficult to pick the Bears over the Green Bay Packers. So many times, fans had hope that the team could beat them, only to be heartbroken in the end.
The Bears faced the Packers in Week 1. While many thought the Bears had a shot at winning, they ended up playing so poorly that the boo birds were already out. They gave up 38 points to Green Bay and took a bad loss.
While the Packers, like the Bears, have improved since their last matchup, Green Bay’s weakness is the Bears’ strength. The Packers offense ranks 21st in rushing and 24th in rushing touchdowns. On defense, they rank 29th in rushing yards allowed and 18th in rushing touchdowns allowed.
Conversely, the Chicago Bears rush defense leads the league in rushing yards allowed and is third in rushing touchdowns allowed. On offense, the Bears’ rushing attack ranks third in yards and 17th in touchdowns.
Prediction: It is difficult to do and probably a mistake, but the Bears win to finish the season 7-10.