Gearing Up

While the Bears await final playoff scheduling, their 2006 regular season schedule has been released:

Home: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins.

Away: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets.

Early prediction: 11-5. Sweeps of GB and Detroit, a spilt with the Vikes. Wins over San Fran, Buffalo, Miami, Cardinals, Rams and Jets.

As to the remaining games this year, I think there are only two teams the Bears cannot beat in the playoffs: New England and Indianapolis.

In the NFC, they can beat and can be beat by anyone. I don't see them winning at Seattle, but it wouldn't surprise me. I can't see them losing at home to anyone other than maybe Washington or New York behind a nova-hot Eli Manning. And Manning hasn't been nova-hot.

Best road to Detroit:
Washington over Tampa.
Giants over Carolina.
Washington over Seattle.
Bears over Giants.
Bears over Washington.

For whatever reason, a rematch against Carolina is the more foreboding. I have no idea way.