The 2010 Chicago Bears Schedule

The 2010 NFL schedule is out for all teams. The season will begin on Thursday, Sept. 8. Since my favorite team is the Chicago Bears, I'm going to preview the games on their schedule for the coming season.

Week 1 Sunday, September 12: Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.
The last time these two teams met in Chicago in the opener was 2004 when the Lions pulled off an upset. However, the Bears have improved themselves for this year as the Lions are still rebuilding. The Bears should have no trouble starting 1-0 here.

Week 2 Sunday, September 19: at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m.
This one is going to be tough to go into Dallas and pull out a win. Thankfully, the pass rush should be a strength for the Bears, and winning on the line of scrimmage is an area Dallas has to win at in this game. But the Bears have struggled in pass protection as well, so there could be a lot of sacks in this one despite the mobility of both Jay Cutler and Tony Romo.

Week 3 Monday, September 27: Green Bay Packers, 8:30 p.m.
The oldest yearly rivalry in NFL history takes place in Week 3, and it should be a good one. The Packers did win both games last year, and these two teams look to unseat Minnesota for the division crown as they look for a Week 3 victory.

Week 4 Sunday, October 3: at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m.
Both the Bears and Giants disappointed many last year, and are looking to a turnaround in 2010. This could be a defensive struggle in New York as the Bears appear in back-to-back night games.

Week 5 Sunday, October 10: at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.
Julius Peppers, the former Panther who Chicago signed away this off-season, returns to Carolina. The off-seasons for both teams couldn't be anymore different as the Bears were quite active in improving their team while the Panthers did not. The Bears should win this one.

Week 6 Sunday, October 17: Seattle Seahawks, 1 p.m.
The Seahawks have a new coach in Pete Carroll and likely won't be a factor in making the playoffs in 2010. The Bears are built more as a team to make the playoffs, so this should be another win for Chicago.

Week 7 Sunday, October 24: Washington Redskins, 1pm
This makes it two weeks in a row that the Bears play a team with a new head coach. This time, it's Mike Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls coaching the Denver Broncos. Washington should improve on offense with Donovan McNabb, and their defense will keep this one close. It maybe a better game than people think.

Week 8 Bye
The Bears get a good break with their bye near the middle of the season.

Week 9 Sunday, November 7: at Buffalo Bills(Toronto), 1 p.m.
For the third straight game, the Bears play a team with a different coach as Chan Gailey takes over for Buffalo with this game being played in Toronto. The Bears aren't rebuilding, and the Bills have trouble scoring. This should be another Bears win.

Week 10 Sunday, November 14: Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Does Brett Favre return for this season or not? The Vikings have only won once in Chicago since 2001 and that was in 2007. This second half of the schedule is a tough one for the Bears, and this game is no exception as both are looking to win the NFC Central division.

Week 11 Sunday, November 18: at Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m.
The Bears and Dolphins made significant moves to improve in the off-season, and should both contend for a playoff spot. Both teams are coming into this game on short weeks to prepare, but the Dolphins won't travel because they have Tennessee at home before this one.

Week 12 Sunday, November 28: Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m.
A new quarterback era will have begun in Philadelphia as Kevin Kolb takes over for Donovan McNabb. These two teams have played each other tough in their recent games against one another, and one can expect it to be no different here.

Week 13 Sunday, December 5: at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.
The Bears should get a break here against the Lions after playing their first tough stretch of games. I expect the Lions to improve and play closer in their games. The Bears can't afford a slip-up in this game if they are in contention for a playoff spot.

Week 14 Sunday, December 12: New England Patriots, 1 p.m.
Everyone knows the Patriots and their success as they come to Chicago for a December match-up. Barring injuries, this game should tell us a lot about whether the Pats have another Super Bowl run in them and if the Bears are ready to step up themselves.

Week 15 Monday, December 20: at Minnesota Vikings, 8:30 p.m.
The Bears haven't won in Minnesota since 2006 as both teams are looking to finish strong and in the playoffs for 2010. This will be a tough test and a game that could have a serious impact on the playoff race in the NFC and the division.

Week 16 Sunday, December 26: New York Jets, 1 p.m.
The Jets exceeded most everyone's expectations in 2009, and look to be even better this year. The Jets defense bolstered its secondary even more this off-season, and the Bears cannot go through this game turning the ball over. One has to wonder if Chicago winter weather will be a factor in this game.

Week 17 Sunday, January 2: at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.
This game will likely be played in the bitter cold, and that won't help either team knowing both like to move the ball in the air. It's a fitting finale for these arch-rivals, and it would make for an even better match-up if both are fighting for their playoff lives in this one.

Overall schedule:
I like the schedule for the first half of the season, but the last half as of now looks pretty tough. Looking at it, the Bears have to start out well which it appears they will. I can see them going 5-2 or better before the bye week. They have two very winnable road games after the bye(Buffalo and Detroit), and will have to win at least three against the rest of the teams after the break. Those last four games are the toughest stretch I see for them on the schedule. However, I do think it is possible that the Bears finish 10-6(maybe better) especially if they get out to a good start in 2010.

Sources: Windy City Gridiron, nfl.com, Chicago Bears Team Index on pro-football-reference.com