The official 2019 Chicago Bears schedule is released

Sure, it’s been out for hours, but here it is, the final, official 2019 Chicago Bears schedule is out (All times are central):

Week 1: vs. Green Bay

Thursday, Sept. 5, 7:20 p.m., NBC

Week 2: at Denver Broncos

Sunday, Sept. 15, 3:25 p.m., FOX

Week 3: at Washington Football Team

Monday, Sept. 23, 7:15 p.m., ESPN

Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Sunday, Sept. 30, 3:25 p.m., CBS

Week 5: at Oakland Raiders (in London)

Sunday, Oct. 6, noon, FOX

Week 6: BYE

Week 7: vs. New Orleans Saints

Sunday, Oct. 20, 3:25 p.m. FOX

Week 8: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Sunday, Oct. 27, noon, FOX

Week 9: at Philadelphia

Sunday, Nov. 3, noon, FOX

Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions

Sunday, Nov. 10, noon, CBS

Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams

Sunday, Nov. 17, 7:20 p.m., NBC

Week 12: vs. New York Giants

Sunday, Nov. 24, noon, FOX

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving), 11:30 a.m., FOX

Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Thursday, Dec. 5, 7:20 p.m., FOX/NFLN/Amazon

Week 15: at Green Bay Packers

Sunday, Dec. 15, noon, FOX

Week 16: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Subject to flex scheduling)

Sunday, Dec. 22, 7:20 p.m., NBC

Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings

Sunday, Dec. 29, noon, FOX

Here’s how the Bears announced it:

Preseason schedule and times are also out (Times are Central and all games are on FOX Chicago):

Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers

Thursday, Aug. 8, 7 p.m. FOX

Week 2: at New York Giants

Friday, Aug. 16, 6:30 p.m., FOX

Week 3: at Indianapolis Colts

Saturday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m., FOX

Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans

Thursday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m., FOX

My takeaways: Having three Thursday games but only one three-day window before a game is a sneaky blessing. The Bears can use the post-Thanksgiving game week like a normal week and they get two 10 day rest periods (before traveling to Denver and to Green Bay) plus their bye week ahead of hosting New Orleans.

The Bears have five prime-time games, the maximum allowed and I only missed one in my prediction yesterday (Washington in week 3). I am surprised Philadelphia wasn’t a prime-time game but I imagine that FOX wanted to protect that one. I did miss on which network would have which game, but that was a total stab in the dark to begin with.

They have six nationally televised games if you count their Thanksgiving game, although that isn’t a “prime-time” game. They also have two late afternoon kickoffs that are both good candidates to be the networks’ “Game of the Week” and being shown in the vast majority of markets.

Three of the first five are on the road, which is a rough stretch, including in London, but then they get their bye.

For the second year in a row, Chicago will play three games in 11 days: at Rams Nov. 17, vs. Giants Nov. 24 and at Detroit Nov. 28.

The December schedule is a tough slate: Dallas, at Green Bay, Kansas City and at Minnesota.

The Bears finish at the Vikings for the fourth consecutive year. Anyone looking to spend another New Years in Minneapolis?

My early prediction has them at 11-5 but it will be far from easy.

Individual tickets go on sale at 8:30 p.m. Central tonight. Which game(s) will you be attending? Who’s going to London? Early record predictions?