Upon the NFL's schedule release last Thursday, they found out that easier schedule is softest at the start.
Chicago's first six games are against teams that were sub-.500 in 2019. The Bears' early schedule is, in order, against the Lions (3-12-1), the Giants (4-12), the Falcons (7-9), the Colts (7-9), the Buccaneers (7-9) and the Panthers (5-11).
Not until Chicago visits the Los Angels Rams on Oct. 26 does it face a team that had a winning record in 2019. And not until the Bears host the Saints on Nov. 1 do they face a foe coming off a playoff appearance.
In the mind of Fox Sports 1 personality Nick Wright, that soft early schedule is a large reason why he predicts the Bears will go 12-4 -- and why he believes they have a golden chance to start 6-0.
"Their route to 12-4, to me, starts with the Chicago Bears being America's last undefeated team," Wright said on the McNeil & Parkins Show on Wednesday afternoon. "You look at the first six weeks of the season, find me the loss. At Detroit -- maybe the most poorly coached team in the NFC. Home for the Giants? I think the Giants are going to be the worst team in the whole league. Bad, Atlanta -- I can't believe they brought Dan Quinn back. Home for Philip Rivers and the Colts -- Philip Rivers has already taken his post-football job coaching high school football. Home for 43-year-old Tom Brady, and then at Carolina.
"I think you start out 6-0."
Listen to Wright's full interview below.
"There are certain teams that the mojo, if you will, gets sapped because they're at practice every day, they're in the meetings every day and they know they got a bum at quarterback," Wright said. "I don't think Nick Foles is great, but Nick Foles is a real NFL starting quarterback. I think that alone makes the team better."