Chicago Bears Schedule Just Took Another Fortunate Turn

The Chicago Bears were widely predicted to end 2022 with one of the worst records in the NFL. That may still happen, but those predictions took a significant hit when the team knocked off the San Francisco 49ers at soggy Soldier Field on Sunday. That was one of the toughest opponents on a schedule most agreed was among the easiest in the NFL. Only six of their remaining 16 games will be against teams that were in the playoffs last year.

Not only that, but one of those teams just suffered a cataclysmic blow. The Dallas Cowboys got stomped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on opening night, 19-3. Their offense looked lost all evening. If that weren’t bad enough, their star quarterback Dak Prescott exited the game early with an apparent hand injury. Medical exams revealed the worst. His right thumb was severely damaged, requiring surgery to fix.

According to Pro Football Doc David J. Chao, he is likely to miss the Bears game in late October.

Lucky if @dak returns at very end of October but expect return after for @packers on 11/13. https://t.co/8saJsnGeJe

— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 12, 2022

#Cowboys QB Dak Prescott got hit on his throwing hand. Cooper Rush is in the game as Dak gets checked out.pic.twitter.com/IAQFCW81KH

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 12, 2022

The Chicago Bears have a big opportunity ahead.

Five of their next seven games will be on the road. That includes a visit to AT&T Stadium in Dallas. If they can navigate that gauntlet with a winning record, six of their final nine games will be at home. Prescott being out improves their odds of accomplishing that goal. The Cowboys already don’t have star left tackle Tyron Smith, thanks to a torn hamstring. Their offensive line is a mess, and the wide receivers made little impact against Tampa Bay. This is not the team that lit up the stat sheets last year.

Not that Matt Eberflus will allow his team to get caught looking ahead. They’re already focused on heading up to Green Bay next Sunday. It’s one game at a time for these Chicago Bears. Still, there is no denying the Prescott injury can have a significant ripple effect on their season if they can sustain some of the momentum from the 49ers wins. One can only imagine what those doomsday predictors will think if that happens.