The 2019 NFL schedule was released Wednesday night as the Chicago Bears learned the time and dates that they will face their opponents. Fans loves the schedule release because it shows when and where their team is playing the upcoming season.
In the Bears’ 100th season, there are many games and dates that standout including overseas travels, playoff rematches, and many primetime dates. Here are some of the most intriguing matchups and dates to the 2019 Chicago Bears schedule:
Kicking it all off
The Bears will host the Green Bay Packers Thursday, September 5th to kick off the league’s 100th and their own 100th season. The Thursday Night Kickoff game is usually hosted by the reigning Super Bowl champions, but the league’s oldest rivalry was chosen to start the season off.
The NFL loves having the Bears and Packers play in primetime as at least one of their games has appeared in primetime each season dating back to 2006.
Former employer matchups:
Chicago will face a former employee in week two in their first road game as the Bears will travel to Denver to take on the Broncos and new head coach Vic Fangio. Fangio was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2018 and was the mastermind behind a Bears defense that finished in the top five of all defensive categories including leading the league turnovers. In week 16, the Bears will host Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs in a Sunday Night Primetime game.
Head coach Matt Nagy was the Chiefs quarterbacks coach for six seasons and the team’s offensive coordinator late in the 2017 season. Reid promotion of Nagy to offensive coordinator led to Nagy being hired by Bears general manager Ryan Pace as head coach in 2018.
Primetime games aplenty
One of the signs that the Bears have returned to prominence is by how many nationally televised games they are scheduled to play. In 2019 they will play in six nationally televised games including three Thursday night games, two Sunday Night games, and one Monday Night. Other than the week one game against the Packers on Thursday night, the Bears will play back to back Thursday games as they will play the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day and then host the Dallas Cowboys the following Thursday night.
Chicago will make its first trip to Los Angeles since the 1993 season when they face the Rams on Sunday Night in week 11. The Bears only Monday Night game will be in week three when they are on the road to face the Washington Redskins.
Lazy Sunday afternoon
One of the rarities of the schedule will be the small amount of 12pm games the team has scheduled this season. Chicago’s first 12pm start won’t come until week five against the Oakland Raiders when the team plays in London. Although the game is scheduled for 12pm Chicago time, the time in London at gametime will be 6pm.
The Bears first true afternoon game won’t come until week eight when they play host to the Los Angeles Chargers. In all, there are only seven 12pm games scheduled, which could be fewer following flex scheduling.
Tough finish down the stretch
The Bears finally final four games of the season will be at home against playoff teams or on the road against divisional opponents. Following their week 14 Thursday Night matchup at home against Dallas, Chicago will be on the road at Lambeau Field in Week 15. This mark the first time the Bears will not play a night game at Lambeau Field since 2008.
Following their week 16 home against the Chiefs, they will finish the season in Minnesota against the Vikings where they have finished the last three consecutive seasons and four out of their last five seasons there.
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