Matt Eberflus' Perspective on How the 2023 NFL Schedule Favors the Chicago Bears
As soon as Chicago Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus had a look at the 2023 NFL calendar, he immediately saw potential advantages for his team. Despite ending last season with a 3-14 record, it's not just the Bears' opponents that make the upcoming schedule seem approachable. Instead, Eberflus credits the layout of the matches designed by the NFL as advantageous for his team.
The way Eberflus sees it, "When you take a look at the schedule, I revealed it to the team after it was announced over the weekend, and I view it as a positive. We've got two Thursday games in Game 5 and Game 10, which essentially gives us two mini-bye weeks. I believe this is a significant upside for us. It provides us with a short break after the first five and ten games, followed by a couple of games. We're up against Detroit, then we have the Monday match versus the Vikings. Our actual bye comes in Week 13, and then we conclude with a five-game stretch.
Starting and ending with division opponents is a good structure, and the schedule gives us sufficient rest periods. This should help us rejuvenate and play our best football."
The Bears will square off against the Washington Commanders in Week 5 on Thursday Night Football, offering them a few additional days to gear up for a home game against the Vikings in Week 6. They'll again host a Thursday Night game in Week 10, this time against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers, at Soldier Field. This clash with the Panthers stands as the only home game amidst a five-match run that involves visits to Los Angeles, New Orleans, Detroit, and Minnesota.
Reflecting on the previous season, the Bears were successful in leveraging their solitary "mini-bye week." After a less-than-stellar loss to the Commanders at Soldier Field in Week 6, the Bears reassessed their strategies. This critical introspection ignited an offensive outburst that highlighted the potential of quarterback Justin Fields when the gameplan complements his skills.
Following a challenging season, General Manager Ryan Poles has embarked on a revamp this offseason. Key actions include bringing in star receiver DJ Moore, strengthening the offensive line, infusing fresh talent into the linebacker unit, and shoring up the secondary. While Poles is taking a measured approach to this rebuild, the Bears are expected to be a strong contender in the NFC North, especially with the departure of Aaron Rodgers.
The manageable schedule peppered with two mini-byes should provide the Bears ample opportunities to assess their game, tweak their strategy, and maintain their momentum throughout the 17-game season.
The calendar breakdown, with critical junctures at Week 5, Week 10, and a bye in Week 13, seems ideally positioned for the Bears to tackle the season in stages. Success in each segment could lead to significant games in December and potentially open up an unexpected opportunity for a playoff appearance.
| POLL | ||
25 MAI | 36 ANSWERS Matt Eberflus' Perspective on How the 2023 NFL Schedule Favors the Chicago Bears Will the Bears win more than 8 games next season? | ||
| Yes | 26 | 72.2 % |
| No | 10 | 27.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
