Predictions for every game of the Chicago Bears’ 2023 season

We made it to Week 1 of the Chicago Bears’ 2023 regular season.

For some teams, it will be their first chance to prove they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The expectations are more modest for others, like the Bears, who are coming off a three-win season. While the goal for the players and coaches should always be to win a championship, I think that Chicago’s fans would be happy with a team that finishes above .500 and either secures a playoff spot or fights hard for one to the bitter end.

Can they achieve even this relatively low bar? Time will tell, but for now, we’ll have to settle for predictions and best guesses. Let’s go week-by-week through their schedule and see where they end up.

Week 1: Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

What better way to start the season than a home matchup against your bitter rivals? The Packers tend to come out flat-footed on offense in Week 1, and for the first time in 30 years, a quarterback not named Aaron or Brett will be their starter. Expect their offense to look stilted and inconsistent and their paper-tiger defense, led by the much-maligned Joe Barry, to underwhelm. Even an unproven Bears defense should have little trouble holding up, and I expect the Justin Fields/DJ Moore connection to hit early and often.

Bears get the win, and it won’t be particularly close.

Week 2: Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs may have lost Tom Brady, but they’re still a talented team. In fact, I don’t think the NFC South will be nearly the cakewalk that many are suggesting. Still, in what should be a close matchup, my rule of thumb is to go with the team with the better quarterback. Justin Fields vs. Baker Mayfield? That’s hardly fair.

Bears win again and start the season 2-0.

Week 3: Bears at Kansas City Chiefs

I won’t lie to you, Bears fans. This one will be ugly. I would not be surprised to see Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid drop close to 40 points on Chicago. They are the defending champs, after all. At least this beatdown won’t be on our home turf.

The Bears take a huge “L” oin this one.

Subscribe to The Bears Talk Podcast: APPLE | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

Week 4: Bears vs. Denver Broncos

I pin about 95% of Denver’s troubles last year on their one-and-done former head coach, Nathaniel Hackett. Since hiring Sean Payton, I have Dever’s arrow pointing straight up. Russell Wilson will get back to form, and that defense will still be stifling. I think the Bears make it interesting but ultimately fall short.

Bears lose and fall to 2-2 on the year.

Week 5: Bears at Washington Commanders

Once again, Chicago will face Washington on Thursday Night Football. Unlike last year, this will not be a snoozefest. The offense should be firing on all cylinders by this game, and Sam Howell won’t be able to keep pace with Justin Fields.

Bears get the revenge win almost exactly one year later in FedEx Field.

Week 6: Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings

In last year’s first matchup with Minnesota, Fields almost pulled a win out of his magic hat until Ihmir Smith-Marsette fumbled on the potential game-tying drive. In 2023, we’re looking at a much-improved Bears team and a Vikings squad that not only got worse but will also deal with a major statistical regression.

It will be close, but I’m going with home-field advantage here and giving the Bears another win.

Week 7: Bears vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders weren’t very good in 2022 and got worse this offseason. Jimmy Garoppolo may not even be their starter by the time the Bears head to Vegas.

Take the Bears all day on this one to extend their winning streak to three games for a 5-2 record.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Week 8: Bears at Los Angeles Chargers

I think the Chargers are finally ready to get over the hump in 2023. There’s just far too much talent on both sides of the ball, especially if they stay relatively healthy. The Bears’ young defense will likely get torched by the receiving trio of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Quentin Johnston. Fields should keep it close but won’t be able to keep up.

Bears lose their second primetime game of the year.

Week 9: Bears at New Orleans Saints

As I said above, expect the NFC South to exceed expectations, especially the New Orleans Saints. With the arrival of Derek Carr, they have a legit franchise quarterback again and a fantastic supporting cast around him.

The Chargers will surprise a lot of people this season, including Bears fans, when they take the win over Chicago and drop the Bears to 5-4.

Week 10: Bears vs. Carolina Panthers

Well, most of the NFC South will exceed expectations. Nothing about the Panthers’ roster impresses me, and their preseason performance, in which rookie QB Bryce Young was under constant attack, made me drop them even further down my rankings.

With home-field advantage and the better quarterback, on primetime and a short rest from Sunday to Thursday, the Bears get a big win and move to 6-4 on the season.

Week 11: Bears at Detroit Lions

Never in my lifetime have I seen this much hype for the Detroit Lions. Will they live up to expectations? Time will tell. They’ve constructed a respectable roster, and their fanbase is fired. Jameson Williams will be back from his suspension by Week 11 and should be a key part of their offense.

Unfortunately, I see Chicago suffering their first division loss of the year.

Week 12: Bears at Minnesota Vikings

The Bears get their fourth and final primetime game in Week 12, their only Monday Night Football slot, and their only primetime game against a division rival. Unfortunately for Chicago, they can’t pull off the series sweep this time around, but it will be one of the most exciting MNF games of the season.

With a second loss in a row, the Bears now fall to 6-6.

Week 13: BYE

Week 14: Bears vs. Detroit Lions

The Lions win a close game at home in Week 11, and the Bears return the favor here at Soldier Field. Expect a big game from Fields at home against this Lions’ secondary as they get back above .500 on the year.

Week 15: Bears at Cleveland Browns

I’m not buying the Cleveland hype or the narrative that Deshaun Watson was just rusty last year. I think his career has taken a permanent downturn.

Chicago wins, and Fields gets his revenge for that beatdown he took in Cleveland during his rookie year.

Week 16: Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are tanking. You know it, I know it, they know it. Even if Kyler Murray starts this game, they will find a way to lose.

Bears get the win here and move to 9-6 on the year.

Week 17: Bears vs Atlanta Falcons

One team always comes out of nowhere and puts in a strong season that no one expected. I think it will be the Falcons this year. They will fight for a playoff spot late in the year, and I fully expect Bijan Robinson to dominate Chicago’s defense.

Falcons win and snap the win streak at three for Chicago.

Week 18: Bears at Green Bay Packers

Bookending the 2023 season with games against the Packers is the perfect schedule for Chicago.

They’re sweeping Green Bay this year.

Unless the Bears somehow have a playoff spot wrapped up at this point and head coach Matt Eberflus rests the starters, this will be another win for Chicago and their first sweep of the Packers since 2007. This would be a sweet way to punch their playoff ticket against a division rival just like they did in 2018.

Chicago Bears 2023 record prediction: 10-7

There you have it, my official prediction for the Chicago Bears in 2023. As we learned last year, predictions can go completely off the rails, but unlike last year, there’s no reason to suspect Ryan Poles will be selling at the trade deadline.

I have the Bears’ floor at seven wins, a scenario where Fields was just okay or slightly above average, and the defense still has a long way to go, and a ceiling of 11 where everything goes perfectly for the Bears and Fields is a legitimate MVP candidate.

I wanted to split the difference and predict 9-8, but I’ll stick with 10-7 for the year, which should be enough for a playoff berth or even a division title.

And once the playoffs start, anything can happen.

Subscribe to The Bears Talk Podcast: APPLE | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE