Getting off to a good start this season was necessary for the Chicago Bears, knowing the second half would be littered with divisional games. Stealing the opener from Tennessee with that big comeback is a great way to build confidence and momentum. However, things get tougher over the next three weeks. It starts with going to Houston against a really good Texans team on Sunday Night Football. Then they head to Indianapolis against the Colts before returning home to host old nemesis Matthew Stafford and the Rams.
Stealing a win from any of them will be challenging. It appears the Bears may have caught some good fortune. According to multiple reports, Los Angeles received bad news on Monday. Star wide receiver Puka Nacua, who lit the NFL on fire last year as a rookie, aggravated a knee injury in their loss to Detroit. While it was only a sprain, the severity was enough to force the Rams to put him on Injured Reserve. That means he cannot play for the next four games. They play Chicago in three weeks, meaning the Bears won’t have to face him.
Los Angeles went to the playoffs last year. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Counting on Caleb Williams to match him shot for shot would’ve been unreasonable. That means the defense would need to at least slow them down enough to keep it close. Nacua had 1,486 yards last season. He was the focal point of the entire Rams offense. Losing him puts a lot more pressure on Cooper Kupp to carry the load. Considering how porous that offensive line is in front of Stafford, having fewer reliable targets is a bad thing.
If the Chicago Bears can get through the first four weeks at 3-1, it sets up a string of games against the Panthers, Jaguars, Commanders, and Cardinals. All four of those teams missed the playoffs last year and lost on opening day. If the defense remains strong and the offense contributes more, there is a reasonable path for this team to go 8-1 or 7-2 by midseason. Yes, that is probably too optimistic, but Nacua’s injury at least opens the door a little wider.
