Chicago Bears: Is Monday night’s Seahawks game a must-win?

It’s only Week 2 of the NFL season, but is Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks a must win already for the Chicago Bears?

The Chicago Bears have only played one football game in the 2018 season. But with 15 games still to go, is it possible their Monday Night Football matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is already a must-win?

You may think that’s an absolutely ridiculous notion but consider this. It’s not a must win because of how it impacts their season’s aspirations (though few teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs). Rather it’s a must win because it’s a should win.

The Bears entered the season with a much-improved roster, which came with higher expectations. After the Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers, fans were left with a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. The offense looked terrific for the first few series, and the defense dominated the entire first half. Although the wheels fell off after halftime, it gave fans a glimpse of what the team can do if clicking on all cylinders.

However, fans also came away somewhat disappointed in Mitch Trubisky‘s performance. There were errant throws, missed reads, happy feet, and a poorly executed two-minute drill. All week on Chicago sports talk radio, the subject has been about Trubisky and his progression.

Of course, there are fans at both ends of the spectrum. Some aren’t willing to accept any criticism of Trubisky while others are ready to already declare him a bust. Both extremes are equally silly. The reality lies somewhere in the middle. Trubisky is a young, inexperienced quarterback learning a new offense going through significant growing pains.

However, it’s time for Trubisky to start showing improvement and growth. It’s time for him to start checking the boxes of a no. 2 overall pick, even if he is short on experience. Just as it’s time for this team to play a complete game, even though it lacks continuity as a group.

So as the Bears find themselves faced with a number of questions and much criticism after only a week, perhaps it’s serendipitous that their Week 2 opponent is a banged up Seahawks club who is on the downswing. Their unit is much depleted since the days of the Legion of Boom.

Their injury report is riddled with key players at key positions who, even if they play, will be at far less than full strength. If Matt Nagy and this team can’t come up with and execute on a game plan that exploits this depleted roster, it will only raise more questions. In other words, the conditions are highly favorable for a Bears win.

Even better for the Bears, the game will be played at home in primetime, when all NFL eyes will be on them. It’s a chance for redemption. It’s a chance to wash the bad taste of last week’s collapse out of their mouth. Most importantly, it’s a chance for them to take that first step as a team towards their goal of ascending back to the top of the NFL landscape.

The Bears currently sit as 3.5 favorites to win Monday night. Despite all of their shortcomings, they are favored to beat the Seahawks. So it’s time to for them to collectively seize the opportunity and take care of business at home, in front of a rabid crowd who will be thirsty for a win. If nothing else, it’s a must win to avoid having to hear the same questions and criticism for another week — lest self-doubt starts to creep in.