Bear Digest

One 2024 Game by Game Breakdown Puts Bears on the Plus Side

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr predicted the outcome of every single NFL game and it turned up a tight race for the Bears in a bid for the playoffs.

Gene Chamberlain

Tyrique Stevenson forces a fumble from Packers quarterback Jordan Love in last year's season finale. SI's Conor Orr sees a different outcome between the teams in this season's finale.
Tyrique Stevenson forces a fumble from Packers quarterback Jordan Love in last year's season finale. SI's Conor Orr sees a different outcome between the teams in this season's finale. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK
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It's the pause before the storm this weekend and as such, prediction time around the NFL.

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr has not only picked playoff teams and divisional finish, but went with a full game-by-game prediction for the entire NFL season. His forecast will please some Bears fans and the finish to the season definitely will not please Green Bay Packers fans.

Orr has the Bears making the playoffs as the third NFC North team in the postseason. And they get past Green Bay at Lambeau Field to close the season in order to win the playoff berth.

Although he had both the NFC North champion Lions and the Packers at 12-5, the Bears are able to rebound from an 0-2 start.

Orr's explanation for how the Bears will lose at home to the Titans in the opener seems questionable. It's not because he blames Caleb Williams but because he's elevating the Titans.

"Chicago loses its first two games because, well, Williams is a rookie and the first game he'll face a chapped Will Levis and a Ravens-inspired defenst that could cause a bit of hell," Orr wrote. "After that? It's DeMeco Ryans and the Texans. Welcome to the NFL."

Tennessee's defense might be an attempt to imitate the Ravens but they have a very long way to go with personnel. Even a rookie quarterback has a chance against the rebuilt defense of a 6-11 team from a year ago.

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No one can doubt the severity of the second game the Bears play, a prime-time problem at Houston.

He had the Bears closing with a three-game losing streak and then a three-game winning streak to get into the postseason.

"I see a steady build for this Bears team and like them as our Texans-esque team of 2024," Orr concludes.

The 8-9 to 10-7 range is probably where most predictions will come in for the Bears. Making the playoffs is going to be a matter of how the rest of the conference breaks in that case

At 8-9, though, the Bears wouldn't be making the "big leap" forward they are all talking about. In fact, it's questionable whether a 9-8 season would constitute the big leap.

Taking such a leap with a rookie quarterback is the trick.

BearsOnSI

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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.