Caleb Williams, Bears could make the NFL playoffs, but challenges await

USC football’s eighth Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, gets thrown into the NFL fire this fall. The 2024 NFL season will test Caleb as a professional rookie. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft will have to prove he can handle the heat and …

USC football’s eighth Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, gets thrown into the NFL fire this fall. The 2024 NFL season will test Caleb as a professional rookie. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft will have to prove he can handle the heat and show that he was worthy of the Chicago Bears’ enormous investment in his talents. The 2024 NFL schedule was just released, so now Caleb can see the roadmap to the NFL playoffs. The Bears have what is a relatively manageable schedule. This is the beauty and benefit of finishing last in the division. The next year’s schedule is easier for last-place teams. Can Caleb Williams and the Bears take advantage? Here are the most central keys for the Bears on their 2024 schedule:

As an NFL rookie, Caleb Williams is bound to have some rough moments in his first few games. The Bears have a tough three-game stretch from Weeks 2 through 4: at Houston, at Indianapolis, home versus the Rams. Beating the Titans in Week 1 is really important. If Chicago wins there, taking just one of three from the Texans, Colts and Rams would put the Bears at 2-2 through four games. If the Bears can do that, they will have passed their first really big test and could give Caleb Williams the confidence he needs to make this season count. If Chicago is 1-3 through four games, it’s a big setback and a missed opportunity.
The Bears have three October games: Panthers, Jaguars, Commanders. If Chicago can win the London game versus the Jags, it should go 3-0 in October. If the Bears go 2-2 in their first four, as we mentioned above, a 3-0 October would enable Chicago to enter November 5-2. This would put the Bears in great position to make the NFL playoffs.
That Nov. 3 road trip to Arizona is crucial. If the Bears can survive it, they could be 6-2. Then they host a rebuilding New England Patriots team on Nov. 10. Chicago could be 7-2 if it takes advantage of the very soft October and early-November portions of the slate.
The Bears will need to load up on wins in the first half of their schedule, because the second half is nasty. From Nov. 17-28, the Bears play their three tough NFC North opponents. That’s three challenging division games in 12 days. Then the Bears play the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 8. Then the Bears go back to the NFC North for three of their final four games. The second half of the slate is brutal.
Beating the Vikings twice could be what lifts the Bears to the NFL playoffs. Failure to do so could keep the Bears home on their couches in January. The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions are likely to be very strong this season. The Vikings face uncertainties after losing Kirk Cousins and having a clear downgrade at the quarterback spot. If the Bears win twice against the Vikings and beat the other teams they should beat on their schedule, there’s a path to a 10-win season for Chicago. That would get the Bears into the playoffs.
That Dec. 26 night game versus the Seahawks will likely be played in bone-chilling Chicago cold. The Bears need to make that game miserable for Seattle. It could be the playoff clincher if Chicago can go 7-2 in its first nine games and then beat the Vikings twice. This would be win No. 10.
Titans, Panthers, Jaguars, Commanders, Cardinals, Patriots — there are a lot of beatable teams on the Bears’ 2024 NFL schedule. If the Bears can then split their moderately difficult games in the NFC North or something close to that, they have a playoff path. Beating the Vikings really is a central, foundational key for this team’s success. Getting out of the first four games in September at 2-2 is also hugely critical. All in all, anything less than 9-8 against a relatively soft schedule would be a missed opportunity and a disappointment for the 2024 Bears.