When the Chicago Bears’ 2020 schedule was officially unveiled, many saw the Week 1 opponent and immediately chalked it up as a win. The Bears head into Detroit to play the Lions when the season kicks off and on paper, the Bears appear to have the advantage.
After all, they boast a 4-0 record under head coach Matt Nagy against their division rivals, and the Lions are coming off a 3-12-1 record last season. But if you peel back the curtain, you’ll see the Bears haven’t exactly stormed out of the gate in recent years.
A lot of people have the Bears winning week one, but here's a sobering reality:
The Bears haven't won a game in week one since 2013, Marc Trestman's first year. They haven't won a road opener since 2008.
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) May 8, 2020
Heading into the 2020 season, the Bears are on a six-game losing streak to open the season. Their last victory in Week 1 came in 2013 when they hosted the Cincinnati Bengals to begin the Marc Trestman era, beating them 24-21. Since then, they’ve dropped each opener to begin the season 0-1.
The Bears also haven’t won an opener on the road since 2008, when they beat the Indianapolis Colts 29-13. They have only played three road openers since then, losing at Green Bay in 2009 and again in 2018, as well as at Houston in 2016.
Fortunately, the losses have not been blowouts. The Bears’ Week 1 opponent’s margin of victory is 5.6 points since 2014, and all but one loss was a one-score game. The Lions, meanwhile, have stayed around .500 in their openers since 2014, going 3-2-1 over their last six openers, their tie coming last season against the Arizona Cardinals.
Could this be the year the Bears finally snap their losing streak and start the season on the right foot? History may not be on their side, but a new season always brings hope and promise.
Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:
Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea
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