The Chicago Bears preseason schedule picks up on Thursday with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Soldier Field and the TV start time on ESPN for the game is at 8 pm ET and the live stream channel for the matchup is on WatchESPN for the first matchup of the week and then things pick up on Friday with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bears come into the season after making some major strides on offense, but the team took a step back defensively and they missed the playoffs in the first year under Marc Trestman. The Bears dealt with an injury to Jay Cutler and they received breakout seasons from Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte, who each put up just stupid numbers on offense. The team won their first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles last Friday and they will next play on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 before a final game against the Cleveland Browns.
Cutler is coming into the season expecting to have a big year and he has two of the best wide receivers in the league in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery and those two combined for 19 touchdowns last season and put up some filthy numbers. The Bears have a tough schedule to start the season since they have a their bye all the way in Week 9, but they have winnable games mixed in with tougher ones. After opening up with the Buffalo Bills, the team gets its first test of the season with a road game against the San Francisco Giants and that will be on Sunday night football.
In Week 3 the bears play against the Jets on Monday Night Football and that will also be on the road and that continues a stretch after opening at home of four road games in five weeks. The team has the Green Bay Packers at home and they play the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons on the road and the team finishes their first season stretch against the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.
The Bears offense was fantastic last season, but the defense was not up to par and they ranked last in the league in rushing yards allowed per game and that is one area they need to improve. The team also was ranked in the middle of the pack in passing yards allowed per game and that is one reason why the team drafted Kyle Fuller in the first round. The Jaguars will play against the Detroit Lions next and in Week 4 they play against the Atlanta Hawks.
Check here for the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars schedule and the Week 2 preseason schedule.