No sport changes by the week like the NFL. A team that looked destined to make it to their conference title game in Week 3 could suddenly look like a .500 disappointment in Week 6. Things change very quickly, including the toughness of a team’s remaining schedule.
It was only 10 days ago following the Chicago Bears’ disappointing loss to the Oakland Raiders that saw many worried about the team’s remaining schedule once they came back from the bye week.
As of Oct. 7, all but two teams (Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants) had records above .500, and the Bears were pegged as the team with the toughest remaining schedule. Now, a week later, things don’t seem as daunting as they once did.
According to Power Rankings Guru, the Bears now have the fifth-toughest strength of schedule remaining in the NFL going into Week 7.
While the Bears prepare to face a New Orleans Saints team that’s rolling with a 5-1 record behind the arm of backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, they might be without their star ball carrier running back Alvin Kamara due to an ankle injury.
After Week 7, Chicago’s schedule actually lightens up a bit. They’ll face a 2-4 Chargers squad, who’s only win in the last month came against the hapless Miami Dolphins and a 3-3 injury-plagued Philadelphia Eagles team who is giving up the fifth-most passing yards per game after getting carved up by quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears’ following games include a home matchup against a Detroit Lions team who have lost two straight games and a road meeting with the Los Angeles Rams who, despite the addition of all-pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey this week, have plenty of questions on offense after dropping three straight games to fall to .500.
The NFL is a week-to-week league, and a strong showing by the Bears’ upcoming opponents this weekend could change the outlook. But from a scheduling standpoint, things are looking brighter for the Bears as they begin their playoff push coming out of the bye week.
