Through three weeks, things aren't looking up for the Bears.
They've taken three brutal losses to open the 2023 season. Their most recent loss, Sunday against the Chiefs, saw the reigning Super Bowl champions ahead 34-0 at halftime before delivering the coup de grâce, 41-10.
As it stands, the Bears own the 27th-ranked offense in the NFL, averaging 15.7 points per game. On the other side of the ball, the Bears have the second-worst defense, allowing over 35 points per contest.
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It's been a worst-case-scenario situation for the Bears. Nothing seems to be going right for the team. But their upcoming schedule leaves what little room is left for optimism.
"We got Denver [Broncos] coming in here and we got Washington [Commanders] on a Thursday night," former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt said. "We have legitimately two games that we can win. All it takes is one good performance, one good win and then the mood changes. But you gotta fight through this."
The Broncos, like the Bears, are one of the four teams in the NFL without a win this season. Last week, the Broncos allowed a near NFL record 70 points to the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins posted 776 total yards against the Broncos on Sunday. They rushed for 350 yards and passed the ball for 376 yards. The Dolphins scored 10 touchdowns.
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Wannstedt's logic is for the Bears to simply be half as good as the Dolphins were on Sunday.
"Look at it this way, the Broncos gave up 70 points on Sunday to the Miami Dolphins," Wannstedt said. "If we could just score half of that we should win! Score 35 points and 'W.'"
There is little room for optimism with the current state of the Bears. But their schedule might offer the team and fans a glimmer of hope against two beatable teams.
As aforementioned, they own two of the worst units on both sides of the ball in the NFL. The blame is shared between execution, coaching and effort on the field. But none of their adjustments have turned into a win.
The Bears also endured a disastrous week ahead of their game against the Chiefs. Justin Fields' comments about the coaching staff were taken heavily out of context. Alan Williams, unbeknownst to anyone, resigned from his position as defensive coordinator.
Not to mention, about $100,000 of Soldier Field's lawn equipment was stolen.
This is the start of a fresh week. Wipe away the 31-point loss to the Chiefs. Keep your eyes ahead.
The Bears have a legitimate chance of winning on Sunday, which Wannstedt underlines as an important momentum shifter over their next two games.
"With the Thursday night game, usually what happens, because it's such a short week, whatever happens the Sunday before, the momentum --- good or bad --- carries over. Because you don't have a whole lot of time to readjust your mindset.
"This week is really important to get a 'W.'"