Getty Here is an updated look at the Chicago Bears' 2020 opponents and schedule. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
After pulling out a last-second victory against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, the 2020 schedule for the Chicago Bears became fully known, and it features more than a few intriguing matchups for a team that will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 8-8 season.
After winning the NFC North in 2018 and making the playoffs for the first time in 10 years last season, the Bears regressed immensely in 2019, particularly on offense. Will their 2020 outlook be any better than it was this year? Here’s a breakdown of the Bears’ 2020 opponents, both at Soldier Field and on the road.
NOTE: * will mark the teams that went to the playoffs in 2019.
Bears 2020 Away Games/Opponents:
GettyKirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings=
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1. Atlanta Falcons (7-9 in 2019)
- The Bears will head to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Matt Ryan and company. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will still be steering the ship in Atlanta, and many thought the Falcons would be a top team in 2019. They will still have one of the best wide receiving combinations in the league in Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley — whose younger brother Riley Ridley will be suiting up for the Bears.
2. Carolina Panthers (5-11 in 2019)
Christian McCaffrey will give the Bears defense the ultimate of tests in this one. The Panthers will have a new head coach next year, and it’s also unlikely that star quarterback Cam Newton will be with the team, so Carolina remains a bit of a question mark at this point, but this game could shape up to be an excellent contest.
3. Green Bay Packers (13-3 in 2019)*
Per usual, the Bears will face each divisional opponent twice: once at home, and once away. The Bears have dropped their past two season openers to the Packers, and Matt Nagy is 1-3 against their arch rivals. The Bears haven’t swept the Packers since 2007. The Packers swept them this season.
4. Los Angeles Rams (9-7 in 2019)
The Bears will head to LA Memorial Coliseum for the second straight year to face the Rams. The Bears are 1-1 over the past two seasons against Los Angeles, with Chicago’s defense giving Jared Goff fits both games. The Rams missed the playoffs for the first time in three seasons this year.
5. Detroit Lions (3-12-1 in 2019)
The Bears have swept the Lions for the last two seasons, and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky seems to love playing Detroit. The Bears have won at Ford Field on Thanksgiving two years in a row, and will likely look forward to facing the Lions yet again.
6. Minnesota Vikings (10-6 in 2019)*
The Bears have also seen a good deal of recent success against the Vikings in Minneapolis. They have won the last two games against Minnesota as visitors, and they have won four in a row against the Vikes. Kirk Cousins has struggled immensely against this Bears defense, going 0-4 against them in his time in Minnesota.
7. Tennessee Titans (9-7 in 2019)*
Ryan Tannehill and company will also host the Bears next year. The Titans have been one of the more surprising stories in the NFL this season, making the playoffs by winning the games they needed to win. Whether the Titans can keep their momentum going next year remains to be seen, but this is an intriguing matchup for two teams that don’t play each other often.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10 in 2019)
Chicago will head to TIAA Bank Field in 2020, and whether they will be facing Nick Foles, who knocked them out of the playoffs in 2018, or if they’ll face Gardner Minshew is yet unknown. If Minshew Mania is still the rage, the Bears defense will get their first look at the young quarterback, who will be in his sophomore season.
Chicago Bears 2020 Home Opponents
GettyDeshaun Watson will face the Bears defense in 2020.
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1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9 in 2019)
- Chicago will host Bruce Arians and company when the Bucs come to town. Considering Arians’ recent comments about quarterback Jameis Winston, the Bears will likely be facing an unknown Tampa Bay QB. The Bears have won three of their last five against the Bucs, and are 2-0 at Soldier Field in those games.
2. Houston Texans (10-6 in 2019)*
The headlines for this one will likely focus on the 2017 draft class quarterbacks: this will be the first time Mitchell Trubisky play against Deshaun Watson. Bears GM Ryan Pace has faced immense criticism for drafting Trubisky with the second overall pick while refusing to even have dinner with Watson, who was one of the top prospects in the nation in 2017. Watson facing off against the Bears stellar defense could make this one of the more exciting games of the Bears 2020 season.
3. New Orleans Saints (13-3 in 2019)*
The Saints beat the Bears badly at Soldier Field this year, 36-25, in a game that was never that close. Teddy Bridgewater was leading the team, and star running back Alvin Kamara was out, but the Saints dominated Chicago on both sides of the ball. New Orleans have won their last five against the Bears, so Chicago will be looking to change that in 2020.
4. Indianapolis Colts (7-9 in 2019)
The Bears will face Jacoby Brissett for the first time ever when the Colts come to town. The Bears last played the Colts in 2016, and they lost that game, 29-23, at Lucas Oil Stadium. These two teams have played each other five times in the last 15 years, including the 2007 Super Bowl, where Peyton Manning and company defeated the Rex Grossman-led Bears, 29-17. The Bears are 2-3 in those five games.
5. New York Giants (4-12 in 2019)
Chicago has seen Saquon Barkley and the Giants the last two seasons, and they are 1-1 in those games. The Bears won at Soldier Field this season, 19-14, and lost in overtime as visitors in 2018, 30-27. The Giants are actively looking around for a new head coach at present, so they will have a new leader when these two teams face off in 2020.
6. Minnesota Vikings (10-6 in 2019)*
The Bears are 4-2 against the Vikings at Soldier Field since 2014, and, as mentioned, Nagy has had a great deal of success against Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if that success will continue next year.
7. Detroit Lions (3-12-1 in 2019)
The Bears have won four straight against Detroit, but prior to Nagy’s arrival, the Bears were 1-9 against Detroit in the previous 10 games in the series. Chicago has always played the Lions better at Soldier Field, so this game would be the one they’re more likely to win.
8. Green Bay Packers (13-3 in 2019)*
- Few have enjoyed the success Aaron Rodgers has against the Bears. Rodgers is 19-5 against Chicago in his career, and he is 1-1 against them the last two seasons in Soldier Field. The Bears defense has played him well recently, however, and this game could be one of the most crucial matchups of the Bears 2020 season.
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