For the first time in 58 years, the Chicago Bears won’t play a road game in December. The 2022 NFL schedule features a few favorable stretches for rookie head coach Matt Eberflus, but none will be bigger than the comfort of being home during the most brutal month of the football season.
It’s not all good news for the Bears in December. Their games at home will be some of their most challenging in 2022. The Green Bay Packers kick things off when they come to Soldier Field on December 4. Chicago’s bye week is in Week 14, followed by a tough out against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 18. Quarterback Josh Allen and the Super Bowl contender Buffalo Bills come to town on Christmas Eve before the Bears get back on an airplane and head to Detroit for Week 17’s division battle against the Lions on New Year’s Day.
Chicago needs every advantage for the games against the Packers and Bills. Playing in front of a home crowd will certainly be one. And there’s something about sleeping in your bed and eating home-cooked meals that helps a player’s gameday performance.
The Bears’ home-stand in December is another layer to a sneakily favorable schedule in 2022. Chicago has one of the easiest schedules in the NFL — according to strength of schedule — and if Eberflus can keep his team hovering at or around .500 when the calendar flips to December, this home-field advantage could be the spark that leads to an exciting finish to the season.
Bryan is the founder and managing editor of Bears Talk. His previous stops include Bears coverage for NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today.
