Around the NFC North: Bears Opponents for 2025 Mean More Trouble

Analysis: The Bears are in a cycle of defeat and misery and as last-place finishers in a difficult division they figure to have trouble escaping last for next season.

Aaron Jones spikes it in the end zone at Soldier Field in the 30-27 Vikings win over the Bears earlier this season. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

The Bears have locked up last place in the NFC North for the third straight year under GM Ryan Poles, who was hired by George McCaskey and Bill Polian.

It's their seventh last-place finish in the last 11 years, all of those coming since McCaskey let head coach Lovie Smith be fired following a 10-6 season in 2012. They've had two winning seasons since McCaskey became the one calling shots at Halas Hall in 2011, and they fired the head coach after one of those.

They'll have a new head coach next season and Poles promised when he came on board to "take the North and not give it back."

Getting out of last place would be nice for now. It's probably why his name is being brought up more and more as someone whose job could be in jeopardy, regardless of some of his more positive moves.

As a result of where the Bears are record-wise, they get the last-place schedule.

Much of the schedule is known when they come out in 2025 looking at a fourth straight last-place finish in the NFC North and eight in 12 years.

BEARS PURSUE A MORE COORDINATED EFFORT AGAINST MINNESOTA

The problem with being the last place team in the best division in football is the schedule is tough no matter which way you slice it.

Home Games

Giants

Cowboys

Browns

Steelers

Packers

Lions

Vikings

Panthers*

Road Games

At Ravens

At Bengals

At Eagles

At Commanders

At Packers

At Lions

At Vikings

At 49ers**

*Panthers have two-game lead for last in division and last place plays the Bears

**49ers have half-game lead for last over Cardinals in the division and last place plays the Bears

Week 15 NFC North On SI Rankings

1. Lions, 2. Vikings, 3. Packers, 4. BEARS

Green Bay Packers

Bill Huber, Green Bay Packers On SI

This week: At Seahawks (7:20 p.m. Sunday)

Most impactful player on defense: Last season, Green Bay’s starting safeties had zero interceptions and the team finished with seven. Xavier McKinney, who was signed away from the Giants in free agency, has seven by himself. He has played excellent overall coverage, tackled well and led the group. It’s hard to say a player can be underpaid with a four-year, $67 million contract. So, let’s just say McKinney has been worth every penny.

Keys to victory: The Packers have two large advantages over the surging Seahawks. On paper, anyway. One, it’s running the football. Josh Jacobs is third in the NFL in rushing and has scored seven times in the last three games. He’ll go against one of the weaker run defenses in the NFL. Success running the football will give the Packers more plays; they had 30 fewer snaps than the Lions last week. Second, it’s turnovers. The Packers have the third-most takeaways and the Seahawks have the ninth-most giveaways. Green Bay is No. 1 in the NFL in turning takeaways into points. If the Packers can take advantage of those advantages, they’ll have their 10th win and be on the threshold of the playoffs.

Detroit Lions

John Maakaron, Detroit Lions On SI

This week: Bills at home (3:25 p.m. Sunday)

Most impactful player on offense: The Lions have a lot of weapons that give them flexibility on offense. They’ve won games despite quiet games from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams at different points this year. As a result, the most impactful player is the guy getting all of them the ball, quarterback Jared Goff. The Lions are at their best when he’s in a groove, and while he doesn’t have to play at the level he did in October all the time, Goff is the player the Lions can most ill afford to lose.

Keys to victory: The Lions have to generate takeaways. They’ve gone two straight games without one, and have been able to win regardless. However, the one takeaway they got against Green Bay turned the tide of the game completely. With all the injuries on defense, the Lions could be in danger of getting gashed with a trio of defensive linemen uncertain to play. As a result, getting takeaways will make life easier defensively as well as generate momentum for the offense.

Minnesota Vikings

Joe Nelson, Minnesota Vikings On SI

This week: Bears at home (7 p.m. Monday)

Most impactful player on defense: Jonathan Greenard. I've argued before that Blake Cashman is the lynchpin to the overall success of the defense, but Greenard's impact cannot be ignored. He's racking up pressures at an all-pro level and the number of times he's made life distressing for quarterbacks has made Vikings fans forget about Danielle Hunter. Heck, Greenard might be playing the best defensive end in Minnesota since Jared Allen had the horns on his helmet.

Keys to victory: Noise. U.S. Bank Stadium is going to be rocking on Monday night and it will arguably be the loudest environment Caleb Williams has played in as a professional. If the fans can make it deafening for Williams, the rookie could be thrown off his game and be prone to make mistakes. As big as the noise factor is, keeping him in the pocket will be equally as important. Williams made plays out of the pocket when these two clubs met at Soldier Field and that's when he made the Vikings pay.

Chicago Bears

Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears On SI

This week: At Vikings (7 p.m. Monday)

Most impactful player on defense: CB Jaylon Johnson. While everyone on defense has tailed off and injuries set in, their Pro Bowl cornerback has at least given them a chance to take away one weapon from opponents. He was critical in holding Justin Jefferson to two catches in the first Minnesota game at Chicago. Like everyone else on defense, Johnson's productivity has waned but it's still at a high enough level to challenge opposing receivers.

Keys to victory: Proving they haven't mailed it in for the year is one key. After the performance in San Francisco, Thomas Brown's candidacy for the head coaching job must be looked at with skepticism. Is there pride left in the locker room to get them through an apparent lame duck situation for a full four games? The short passing game is critical against Minnesota because what they really have lacked is a running game, as D'Andre Swift has failed to hit 60 yards five of the last six games.

Will we see this photo become reality in the next 5 years? pic.twitter.com/atdLwyPR9E

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Twitter: BearsOnSI