4. Division play
If the Bears are going to have a chance at making the playoffs, they’re going to need to take care of business inside the NFC North. Chicago has gone 4-2 in the division over the last two seasons, including 4-0 against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. But the hurdle for the Bears remains their rivals to the north in the Green Bay Packers, who Chicago has gone 1-3 against in the last two years.
Chicago opens the season against the Lions, where they have a chance to win a season opener for the first time in the last six years. Then, they don’t face their division rivals until the final stretch of their schedule, which includes five divisional games in the last eight weeks. Which means if the Bears want a return to the postseason, they need to take care of business in the second stretch against their NFC North rivals.
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