Chicago Bears Schedule: Boldly predicting a playoff run game by game

With the release of the 2021 NFL schedule, every football fan is now more ready than ever for the summer to come and go — especially Chicago Bears fans.

How could Bears fans get any more excited at this point? The Bears have gone from a team that looked to be getting far worse just a couple of months ago, to a team now boasting a guy who could be their best quarterback yet in Justin Fields.

It looked as though general manager Ryan Pace had these Bears headed for a top-three pick in the draft next year, the way he began the offseason. After we found out the Bears opponents for the coming season, things looked immediately bleak.

But, it’s amazing what just a few days can do. After the 2021 NFL Draft, everything changed going into the coming season — and even years ahead.

The Chicago Bears’ 2021 schedule is one of the toughest in all of football, but there’s still reason to be hopeful.

The Bears will play the league’s third-toughest schedule based on last year’s records. That’s not a kind outlook, especially for a team that could end up starting a rookie quarterback at some point.

Speaking of which, that’s the big question everybody wants to know: who starts at quarterback Week 1?

Head coach Matt Nagy has continued to tell media that he has faith in Andy Dalton as the team’s starting quarterback, but just how long will that faith last? With training camp coming in a couple of months, that tune could take a drastic turn.

What happens when Fields starts lighting it up in training camp? How will Nagy handle all of the questions and pressure? This is a totally different ball game than when he had a decision to make between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles last year. Fields is a different animal altogether.

Looking at the 2021 schedule for the Bears, there seems to be a few logical times to throw Fields in as the starter. Let’s get right into it, as the Bears will end up making an aggressive playoff push this coming season.