Bear Digest

London Calling: Bears Take Different Approach Going Across the Pond

The Bears are set to head out later Monday for London rather than waiting until late in the week like they did with Matt Nagy's team in 2019.

Gene Chamberlain

The Bears last played in London against the Raiders in a 2019 loss but will approach this week differently than that team.
The Bears last played in London against the Raiders in a 2019 loss but will approach this week differently than that team. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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World traveler with a girlfriend from Denmark that he is, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is not entering a world of the unknown this week when the Bears travel to London to play Jacksonville.

The Bears QB was just in Paris this past summer. For many Bears, it's definitely a first, though, and with it comes an altered work schedule if not sleep schedule.

"Not my first time going out of the country, but my first time playing in a place like this," Williams said of London. "I was checking out the (Sunday) game a little bit early on–the Vikings and Jets. They showed a couple cool pictures and things like that of that game.

"Just excited to go play there overall. I know those games are always packed and so we're really excited."

The problem is the time difference. The Bears are combatting that by leaving Monday evening instead of waiting. It's a different approach than Matt Nagy used in 2019 when they played in London. That team went later in the week after some practice at Halas Hall. This could give them time to adjust to the time difference.

"And so just adjusting to that as fast as possible, I know the team and everybody is gonna have and show us and teach us ways to be able to adjust to that real quickly," Williams said. "Obviously sleep and recovery is super important for everything, mental, all of that, to be able to recall all these plays that we have and be able to go out there and win.

"I think that's the biggest challenge, is the sleep and things like that. We have to do a good job with that."

Coach Matt Eberflus called it a real thing, based upon his vacation this past offseason to Lake Como.

"Yeah, just to get over there and get our clocks right, that's the big science part of it," Eberflus said. "I went to Italy this summer, and I tell you, it takes you a couple days to get there. I'm all-in for that. That's all it was, just the science of it.

"We'll go there Monday, get there Tuesday morning. The players have their day off that day, which is normal and then bring them back in on Wednesday and we'll have a walk-through practice to get their bodies ready to go. Then from there, we'll be normal business operation. Thursday will be our normal first, second and third (down). Friday will be our red zone day. Saturday will be the walk through, and then Sunday we'll play the game."

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The rest is simply playing in a different place and hearing fans who are not quite what they're used to in Chicago or other U.S. cities.

"I love that there's a lot of soccer fans there and they come up with a lot of chants and all that but it'll be fun," wide receiver Rome Odunze said.

The Bears are 1-1 in regular-season games at London. They beat Tampa Bay in 2011 as they overcame two Jay Cutler interceptions because Josh Freeman threw four of them. Matt Forte came away with 145 yards rushing and 38 receiving. Their last game didn't go as well, as they made a big comeback against the Raiders but lost 24-21 as Josh Jacobs gained 123 yards on the ground against them.

International regular-season games began for the NFL in 2005 with one in Mexico City, won by the Cardinals over the 49ers 31-14. The first regular-season game in London was a 13-10 win by the Giants over the Dolphins in 2007.

The Bears were the pioneers of NFL games in London. They played the first preseason American Bowl game in London the year after winning Super Bowl XX. William Perry and Walter Payton became legendary figures in London with the week of work building up to the first American Bowl in 1986, won 17-6 in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.