Windy City Gridiron 2018 schedule roundtable: Bears game-by-game predictions

With the draft behind us, we can take another look at the Bears’ 2018 schedule.

The staff at WCG has taken a couple weeks to look it over and decide how we each feel about it.

Now, the preseason hasn’t happened yet, nor has any kind of final roster or significant injuries. So this is all bound to change. No one should hold any of us to the predictions listed below, it’s all an early May, all-too-early, pre-preseason, pre-injury breakdown of the schedule.

Each staffer that has decided to participate has their season prediction listed below and then a game-by-game breakdown follows. Explanations were optional and are listed where they put them.

Robert has already dropped his Bears’ 2018 predictions, but for the rest of us:

Lester Wiltfong Jr.: 9-7

“After the draft and preseason I may revisit my picks, but on paper this is a better team than last year, and they certainly have a better offensive staff.”

Sam Householder: 7-9

There’s as many as eight wins on the schedule and as few as five in my estimation. The first and last four are the toughest stretches. A strong start or strong finish would serve the first year coach well, while a struggle in either stretch could make the team buy-in tougher.

Jacob Infante: 8-8

“The Bears improved over the offseason, and they finally have a competent offense on paper, so a better record seems almost inevitable. A tough division could prevent them from making a lot of noise in the playoff race, but there should be a lot of promising moments this season.”

Ken Mitchell: 16-0

“I was not put on this planet to pick against the Bears. Ever.”

Andrew Link: 9-7

“At the end of the day, this is going to be a much improved team, who is going to catch some teams off-guard, but ultimately fall just short of a playoff berth. They are still a player or two away from making a run. The additions on offense and the maturation of Trubisky are going to make this a fun team to watch. 9-7 just won’t get it done with a tough NFC. This is a bit of an awkward schedule too, but the moral here is that this team is still a year away from being one of the big dogs. The good news is, a bounce here or there and they can make it earlier than we expect.”

Josh Sunderbruch: 7-9

Erik Duerrwaechter: 19-0

“No explanation needed.”

Week 1 - at Packers

Sam - Loss

Until I see the Bears play at any kind of consistent level against Green Bay, I can’t trust them to win. I’m too jaded.

Lester - Win

These teams are going in opposite directions, but as long as Green Bay has No. 12, they’ll be in every game. I see the Bears pulling off the upset in what will be a very emotional game for the Packers and their fans. I also predict that we’ll have a new angry Rogers GIF to throw around after this game.

Jacob - Loss

Like Lester said, the Packers are a threat as long as Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. He’ll make up for the holes on the roster around him.

Ken - Win

The Packers are one great QB and 52 random bodies. The single most overrated team in the NFL.

Andrew - Win

It seems like every time the Bears or Packers play each other for a special reason, the other team wins. Soldier Field re-opened, Packers won. Brett Favre day, Bears won. So I am going to go with the upset. The Bears will be hard to defend early without film and the Packers will be preoccupied and likely overlook their longtime rivals.

Josh - Loss

A newly installed offense, still coming together, trying to play catchup against No. 12? Ugh.

Week 2 - vs. Seahawks

Sam - Win

The Seahawks are going into a mini-rebuild as they try and transition from the “Legion of Boom” to the next chapter. Their offensive line today doesn’t seem vastly improved over last year. Right now this looks like a decent match up.

Lester - Win

The Seahawks have some glaring holes on their roster and the Bears can exploit them.

Jacob - Win

Seattle has no weapons outside of Doug Baldwin, and their defense is slowly deteriorating. Chicago picks up their first win of the year.

Ken - Win

A team on the slide, this is the year that will get that coaching staff fired.

Andrew - Loss

While the Seahawks are certainly not the team they used to be, I think there is a letdown after beating the Packers in Week 1. Bears lose a close one at home.

Josh - Loss

The Seahawks “bad” season last year was better than anything the Bears have posted since Lovie Smith left town.

Week 3 - at Cardinals

Sam - Win

The Cardinals have some weapons but are also rebuilding and trying to find their way.

Lester - Loss

This one could go either way.

Jacob - Win

Arizona is, to put it lightly, not good. The Bears topple a team reaching the infancy of their rebuilding stages.

Ken - Win

A formerly outstanding team that has fallen off a cliff. Tougher game because it’s on the road, and by now Bears will be favored.

Andrew - Win

The Cardinals are going to be pretty awful next year. This seems like a good rebound game for a Bears team that will be trying to find it’s footing early in the season.

Josh - Win

This looks promising.

Week 4 vs. Bucs

Sam - Win

What a difference a year makes.

Lester - Win

The returning Bears will want some revenge.

Jacob - Win

I expect Tampa to keep it close, but I see the Bears squeezing away with a win.

Ken - Win

This will be a tight game, but in the end Eddie Jackson will win it with a pick six.

Andrew - Win

Retribution. This is not a good Bucs team and I think that the Bears ultimately come out throwing hay-makers early and often. Look for all facets of the team to play with a huge chip on their shoulders in this one.

Josh - Loss

I think the Bears push too hard and struggle to find a rhythm heading into the bye.

Week 6 at Dolphins

Sam - Win

The Bears never seem to play well against Miami, but I think they can pull it off against their former offensive coordinator: who has a mess of a roster at this moment.

Lester - Win

I have no idea what the Dolphins are at this point.

Jacob - Win

Adam Gase’s #RevengeGame falls flat, and Chicago continues their hot start to the season.

Ken - Win

I’ve got a really good idea what the Bears are trying to do, and absolutely no idea what the Dolphins think they are doing. Miami has had the strangest offseason I have seen in a long time.

Andrew - Win

I don’t mind an early bye for a team installing a new offense. This comes at a good time, Matt Nagy gets his first shot to self-scout and make another big install. I think this one feels like a game to catch Miami off guard.

Josh - Win

This could be the game that gets fans saying “See, Nagy’s going to turn things around!”

Week 7 vs. Patriots

Sam - Loss

I an’t see the Bears being ready to take it to the perennial contenders.

Lester - Loss

The Pats are always too good.

Jacob - Loss

Because they’re the Patriots.

Ken - Win

This is the year the wheels come of in New England

Andrew - Loss

The Bears have yet to beat Belichick and Brady. I don’t see it happening now. This team is much improved, but not quite there.

Josh - Loss

Yeah. I don’t see it.

Week 8 vs. Jets

Sam - Win

The Jets overachieved a year ago, but this could be either Josh McCown or Sam Darnold. Their secondary isn’t great either. Bears get the victory

Lester - Win

The Jets have one winning season since 2011 and they’ll likely be breaking in a new quarterback.

Jacob - Loss

Almost every team ends up losing at least one game that doesn’t seem losable on paper. The Jets could surprise a lot of people this year.

Ken - Win

Remember last year when everybody said the Jets were intentionally trying to tank? That they wouldn’t win a game? Turns out, the Jets knew what they were doing. This will be a tough game, but the Bears pull it out at home.

Andrew - Win

Another re-building team with a young quarterback. The defense has lost pieces without replacing them too. This should be a nice win for the Bears.

Josh - Win

I’m tempted to call this a tie, but I can see the Bears sneaking ahead here.

Week 9 at Bills

Sam - Loss

The Bills have a solid defense and Buffalo is a tough venue for visiting teams. The Bears have not won in Buffalo since 1979.

Lester - Win

This may be another rookie quarterback in Josh Allen, and the Bears defense should be playing at a high level.

Jacob - Win

Buffalo’s offense fails to make a sizable dent on Chicago’s defense.

Ken - Win

Buffalo is in for a very strange, unpredictable season. This could be one of the hardest fought wins of the year, or our easiest.

Andrew - Loss

One of the more underrated home field advantages in the NFL is in Buffalo. There are going to be some clunkers this season and at Buffalo feels like one of them.

Josh - Loss

Without an actual quarterback, the Bills won more games last year than Chicago has in the last two combined.

Week 10 vs. Lions

Sam - Win

The Bears have struggled against the Lions in recent years, but I think they rise up and defend their home turf.

Lester - Win

The Bears break the recent streak against the Lions and get the win.

Jacob - Win

Detroit is a solid team, but the Bears don’t seem to be all that far behind, if at all. They pick up the win at home.

Ken - Win

We are not losing to the Lions at home this year.

Andrew - Win

Even with a bunch of recent losses to the Lions, the games at Soldier Field have been really close. The Bears are much better than recent years, and the Lions haven’t improved. I think the Bears win the battle at home.

Josh - Win

If the Bears don’t pull it together here, the season gets away from them. I think they hang on.

Week 11 vs. Vikings

Sam - Loss

Until they are knocked off, they are the class of the division.

Lester - Loss

Minnesota is too good top to bottom.

Jacob - Loss

Minnesota is one of the league’s best teams on paper. I see them having another fantastic season.

Ken - Win

While I pick Minnesota to finish second in the division behind the Bears, Soldier Field has been a horror show for that franchise for years. Even when they win, things are weird.

Andrew - Loss

The opposite of the Lions, the Vikings tend to play pretty well in Solider Field. This one will be close, like they usually are. I think Minnesota wins.

Josh - Loss

I will believe Mitchell Trubisky can beat that defense when he does so consistently.

Week 12 at Lions

Sam - Loss

The Bears never seem to play well on Thanksgiving morning.

Lester - Loss

It’ll be a sad Thanksgiving for Bears fans.

Jacob - Loss

Chicago hasn’t won a game at Ford Field since 2012. I don’t expect that streak to break yet.

Ken - Win

Remember what happened the last time the Bears played a division rival on Turkey Day? I do. Although they won’t get to embarrass the Lions the same way we did “those people” on Brett Night, they will still take out the win. It’s been a while since Chicago won there, so it will be a nice change.

Andrew - Loss

The coupling of the short week, playing a very physical Vikings team the week prior, and the Lions playing at home, and this looks like a loss. Thanksgiving hasn’t been kind to the Bears recently.

Josh - Loss

Maybe the Bears sweep the Lions soon, but I don’t see it happening in 2018.

Week 13 at Giants

Sam - Win

The Bears snap their skid against a Giants squad lacking identity. The 10 days off helps.

Lester - Loss

The Giants weren’t as bad as that 3-13 train wreck last year.

Jacob - Win

The Giants have some talent on the roster, but they don’t have enough of a future or a present to be a threat for the foreseeable future.

Ken - Win

The Giants are a mess, and they are a draft lottery team again this year. What, the NFL doesn’t do that? Well ... somebody tell the Giants.

Andrew - Win

A mini bye week and the mini Ditkas stomp the regular-sized Giants 142 to -3 (pronounced tree). This is yet another re-building team on the Bears schedule: at least they should be.

Josh - Win

The Giants look like a hot mess.

Week 14 vs. Rams

Sam - Loss

While I am not ready to crown the Rams like others are, they have the pieces on paper to beat a young Bears team finding its way.

Lester - Loss

The Rams will be a Super Bowl contender this season.

Jacob - Loss

Los Angeles’ active off-season pays off, and they build upon a good 2017 season.

Ken - Win

I’m not as convinced about the Rams as others are. They had an epically easy schedule last year and it showed. Still, the Bears will have to play their best to beat them, and beat them they will.

Andrew - Win

The Rams are a good team, no doubt about it. But historically, warm weather teams do not do well in cold weather. I am looking for a cold front to blow in before this game and the football gods to shine upon the Bears.

Josh - Loss

The Rams will probably have more to play for at this point in the season.

Week 15 vs. Packers

Sam - Loss

See Week 1 explanation.

Lester - Loss

I wish it could be a sweep of the Packers, but Aaron Rodgers will find a way to win.

Jacob - Loss

It pains me to have Green Bay winning at Soldier Field, but the Aaron Rodgers effect will still be in full force late in the year.

Ken - Win

Remember what I said above about “those people”? Still applies.

Andrew - Lin

The slow-starting Packers are usually hitting on all cylinders by this point in the season. I expect them to come for some payback for the season opener ... and get it.

Josh - Win

I can see Nagy and company pulling out every trick they can manage to pull this one off.

Week 16 at 49ers

Sam - Loss

As much as I want to stick it to John Lynch and his legion of sympathizers around the league, I think they will be too much for the Bears.

Lester - Win

The ‘Niners are a solid young team, but so are the Bears.

Jacob - Win

San Francisco had a lot of cap space and didn’t do much with it, outside of signing Richard Sherman. The Bears improved more than they did, so I see Chicago picking up the win on the road.

Ken - Win

San Francisco didn’t get better this off-season, they just got older.

Andrew - Win

The 49ers are overrated. Jimmy Garroppolo is overrated. Ultimately, I think we find that out this year. I would be shocked if he isn’t a bit of a turnover machine by this point in the season - and his career - which would play into the Bears’ hands.

Josh - Win

I don’t buy into the 49ers yet.

Week 17 at Vikings

Sam - Loss

Maybe their third trip to Minnesota in four years for the season ender will go differently, but I doubt it.

Lester - Win

The Vikings may have nothing to play for in the season finale.

Jacob - Loss

Again, Minnesota looks dangerous this season.

Ken - Win

Both teams entering the playoffs, but with the division sewn up and their wildcard place set, the Bears’ second team beats the Vikings’ second team. What is it with Chicago ending the season in Minnesota every year?

Andrew - Loss

Sadly, the meat grinder of an NFC is going to leave the Bears on the outside looking in, and with a brutal season ending game. The final game of the season will prevent the Bears from having a .500 divisional record and keep them out of Wild Card weekend.

Josh - Loss

I do buy into the Minnesota defense.