NFL fans tried to push the Bears out of prime time last season as fast as possible.
After the Bears fell to 0-4, many began begging the NFL to flex out the Week 8 Bears-Chargers game on NBC. As the losses mounted, their attention turned to the Week 12 Vikings-Bears game on ESPN. Flexing out a Monday night game is a drastic measure, but those Bears — not to mention those Vikings without Kirk Cousins — were not worthy of prime time.
Nevertheless, both games went on as scheduled, though that was mostly because of minimal flexing options. The country was subjected to lousy football, and the ratings weren’t as spectacular as they usually are.
This season could be the opposite.
The NFL again scheduled the Bears for just one Sunday night and one Monday night, and it got the former out of the way in Week 2. But considering the Bears’ upside with a potentially must-see offense, NFL fans might clamor for them to be flexed into prime time at some point.
Here’s my annual attempt to predict which crews will call each Bears game, including which games might be flex options. Crews for Weeks 1, 3 and 4 already have been revealed, and we know the national crews. The rest are based on intuition and preference.
Week 1: vs. Titans, noon, Fox
Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez make their regular-season debut as Fox’s No. 3 team. The network promoted Sanchez from the No. 5 crew.
Week 2: at Texans, 7:20 p.m., NBC
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth have the call on “Sunday Night Football.”
Week 3: at Colts, noon, CBS
Three-man booth alert: Andrew Catalon and analysts Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty have the call. Catalon and Barber called two of CBS’ four Bears games last season.
Week 4: vs. Rams, noon, Fox
Fox’s new top team of Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady have the call.
Week 5: vs. Panthers, noon, Fox
Burkhardt and Brady figure to be at Dolphins-Patriots for obvious reasons, and Cardinals-49ers could draw Joe Davis and Greg Olsen. That could give us Amin-Sanchez.
Week 6: vs. Jaguars (London), 8:30 a.m., NFL Network
Rich Eisen and Kurt Warner have the call for NFL Network. The game will air locally on Fox 32.
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: at Commanders, noon, CBS
This is a loaded week for CBS, so No. 1 pick Caleb Williams vs. No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels won’t rate highly. That could give us Catalon, Barber and McCourty.
Week 9: at Cardinals, 3:05 p.m., CBS
This week isn’t as compelling for CBS, and a Williams-Kyler Murray matchup is appealing. That calls for the excitable Kevin Harlan and Trent Green.
Week 10: vs. Patriots, noon, Fox
The Bears could be on a nice winning streak by now. Burkhardt and Brady figure to be at 49ers-Buccaneers for obvious reasons, so give us Davis and Olsen.
Week 11: vs. Packers, noon, Fox
The Patriots have a home game on Fox this week, but Brady already had his homecoming. This game could draw the network’s top crew.
Week 12: vs. Vikings, noon, Fox
Niners-Packers will be “America’s Game of the Week,” and Cowboys-Commanders will lead the early window. That should give our own Amin another home game.
Week 13: at Lions, 11:30 a.m., CBS
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will call CBS’ first Bears-Lions Thanksgiving game since 2018.
Week 14: at 49ers, 3:25 p.m., Fox
Bills-Rams is the game of the week, and Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota should lead the early window. Give us more Amin and Sanchez.
Week 15: at Vikings, 7 p.m., ABC
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are expected to call this game, which is the first of two “MNF” games that night. Falcons-Raiders kicks off at 7:30 on ESPN.
Week 16: vs. Lions, noon, Fox
Could this game be flexed into Sunday night? It would require NBC giving up Bucs-Cowboys. Nothing else stands out on Fox’s slate, and it doesn’t have the doubleheader. So send Burkhardt and Brady back to town.
Week 17: vs. Seahawks, 7:15 p.m., Prime Video
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit have the call for Prime Video’s regular-season finale. The streamer will carry its first playoff game in the wild-card round.
Week 18: at Packers, TBD
This game will have flex appeal. But where will it go? Two games will move to Saturday and be simulcast on ABC and ESPN, and one will move to Sunday night. Bears-Packers with playoff implications in a cold, snowy Lambeau Field? NBC will take it.
Remote patrol
Connor Onion and former Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich will call Duke-Northwestern at 8 p.m. Friday on FS1. Dan Hicks and Jason Garrett have Northern Illinois-Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC. Alex Faust and Robert Smith will call Kansas-Illinois at 6 p.m. Saturday on FS1.Marquee Sports Network will air seven live student-produced high school football games this season, beginning Friday with Marist-Brother Rice at 7 p.m.Don Orsillo and A.J. Pierzynski will call the White Sox-Red Sox game Saturday night for Fox.