The Chicago Bears last held a top five pick in 2017. Most fans probably don’t want to remember that disaster. Either way, the odds look favorable that the team could end up there again in 2023. They’re already 2-4 through the first six games. Next, they face the New England Patriots coming off two blowout victories. Then they face arguably the best defense in the NFL right now in the Dallas Cowboys next week. After that, five of their remaining nine games are against teams with records of .500 or better. Another will be against Green Bay, who already beat them once.
So yeah. It doesn’t feel like the Bears are equipped to win many more games on this schedule. Not with the worst passing attack in the NFL, an anemic pass rush, and a bad run defense. That is why several experts see them competing for the #1 pick in the 2023 draft. If so, then Sunday’s games couldn’t have gone much better.
- Carolina Panthers upset the Buccaneers.
- Washington Commanders stunned the Packers.
- Las Vegas Raiders downed the Texans.
Each of those teams is a threat to the #1 slot next year. All of them winning in the same weekend with more than half a season still to go is good for the Bears. Right now, it looks like the two leaders for the pick are Detroit (1-5) and Houston (1-4-1). The Texans still have chances to get some wins, with Washington, Cleveland, and Indianapolis still on the schedule. Detroit plays Chicago twice and Carolina later in the year.
The Carolina Panthers have defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…
Any given Sunday 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kdPbcC8tYN
— PFF (@PFF) October 23, 2022
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Aaron Rodgers after the last play of the Packers-Commanders game. pic.twitter.com/e9atAQ4LXE
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 23, 2022
The Chicago Bears must hold up their end.
It is never easy to cheer for your team to lose. Plenty of Bears fans refuse to do that. They want to see wins. That is understandable. Others, though, see the cold reality. This team isn’t anywhere close to a championship. The easiest way to secure potential star players is with high draft picks. Since 2000, the #1 overall pick has produced 15 eventual Pro Bowlers, including three Super Bowl champions. It is almost impossible to miss that pick.
The Chicago Bears haven’t held it since 1947. They came agonizingly close twice. The first was in 1970 when they lost a coin flip to Pittsburgh, costing them Terry Bradshaw. Then in 1997, they had one more win than the Indianapolis Colts, who ended up with Peyton Manning in the 1998 draft. History says a team can’t have more than three wins in a season to expect a reasonable chance of landing the top pick.
That makes the next 11 games fascinating to watch.
I’m a realist and look at it like this. First and foremost, tanking is an evil word to associate with our Bears. We don’t tank, WE COMPETE UNTIL THE BITTER END! With this said, after the new regime came in, turned over more than half the roster, filled it with journeymen and mid to low round draft choices, not to mention we have a rookie coaching staff and GM, it didn’t require a rocket scientist to see that we are starting a complete rebuild and that we would lose a LOT of games. I always felt we would compete but… Read more »
Right, like the Bears wouldn’t have drafted Ryan Leaf with that 1998 No. 1 pick …
What kind of dumb jerk writes about a team tanking, and believes there are fans desiring that the Bears not compete. Why play the games at all? The Bears will get a good pick in the draft regardless. I’m much more concerned with the 15 offensive player acquisitions Poles acquired, and none have made an impact. Two have scored TDs but also have fumbled several games away.
0 for 15. Next season Poles will make picks, and trades. Frankly. I didn’t like the Bears hiring rookies at all key coaching positions plus a newbie GM.
@Bobby. I agree 100%. we can talk about NEXT season… after the season. (while NFL network run the top 10.. blah blah blah series)
@Arnie Well written. I agree with you too. I was saying the same thing myself. Giants and Redskins are better team that people give them credit for.
play for the moment,stop talking about next year?This team with a terrible O line,receivers who are lucky to even be on a team? and they are still competative.their current record does not reflect the team they really are. Go Bears!!!!!