For a team coming off a five-win, last-place finish, the Bears sure were treated well by the NFL schedule-makers.
They open the season on “Monday Night Football” for the first time since 1997. They’re on Fox’s “America’s Game of the Week” in Week 3. They return to “MNF” in Week 6, play on Black Friday and appear on the season finale of “Sunday Night Football.”
What could go wrong?
Well, two years ago, in former coach Matt Eberflus’ second season, the Bears started 0-4, and NFL viewers just about begged the league to flex out the Week 8 Bears-Chargers game on “SNF.” The cries continued before the Week 12 Vikings-Bears game on “MNF.” To be fair, the Chargers and Vikings weren’t any great shakes, either, and both games stayed put.
The Bears’ 5-3 finish had the NFL optimistic about their chances in 2024, and the team responded with a 4-2 start. But a free-fall sparked more viewer angst about the Week 15 Bears-Vikings game on “MNF” and the Week 17 Seahawks-Bears game on “Thursday Night Football.” Again, neither game moved.
The Bears aren’t quite the TV darlings that the Chiefs and Cowboys are, but given their history and market size, they still draw a good audience. So the NFL dipped back into that well, giving the Bears three prime-time games and two other stand-alone games. Might viewers beg for flexes if the season goes awry? Yes. Will the league show them mercy? Probably not.
As for the rest of the Bears’ schedule, here’s my annual attempt to predict which crews will call each game. Crews for Sunday afternoons in Weeks 1-3 have been set, and we know the national crews. The rest are based on intuition and preference.
Week 1: vs. Vikings, 7:15 p.m., ABC/ESPN — The “MNF” crew of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters have the call.
Week 2: at Lions, noon, Fox — Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi will call it.
Week 3: vs. Cowboys, 3:25 p.m., Fox — Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi have the call.
Week 4: at Raiders, 3:25 p.m., CBS — Opposite Ravens-Chiefs, this will go to a small portion of the country, perhaps making it CBS’s No. 6 game. That means Tom McCarthy and Ross Tucker.
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: at Commanders, 7:15 p.m., ABC — This is the second of two “MNF” games this week. Bills-Falcons starts an hour earlier on ESPN. Expect Buck and Aikman here.
Week 7: vs. Saints, noon, Fox — Eagles-Vikings figures to lead the early window. That puts this in line for Fox’s No. 3 or 4 crew (they’re mostly interchangeable). Give Adam Amin, with Mark Sanchez and Kristina Pink, a home game.
Week 8: at Ravens, noon, CBS — Considering the network gets only a handful of Bears games, it typically gives them a top-two crew. That would mean Ian Eagle, JJ Watt and Evan Washburn.
Week 9: at Bengals, noon, CBS — With Chiefs-Bills airing nationwide in the late window, CBS has five early games. That might put Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins here.
Week 10: vs. Giants, noon, Fox — Ravens-Vikings could lead the noon window, giving Amin another home game. He had two last year, as well.
Week 11: at Vikings, noon, Fox — CBS has the doubleheader, so Burkhardt and Brady are available. They called Packers-Bears at noon in Week 11 last year. Bring ’em back.
Week 12: vs. Steelers, noon, CBS — Aaron Rodgers’ return to Soldier Field demands that Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson call it.
Week 13: at Eagles, 2 p.m., Prime — Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung will call the Black Friday game.
Week 14: at Packers, noon, Fox — This could be a pivotal game for the NFC North title, right? Right?! Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver didn’t call the Bears last year. They’re due.
Week 15: vs. Browns, noon, Fox — There are seven games on Fox’s menu, and this isn’t one of the better ones. It goes to Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and newcomer Allison Williams.
Week 16: vs. Packers, TBD, Fox — This is one of two Saturday games for Fox, the other being Eagles-Commanders. Davis and Olsen get the rematch, too.
Week 17: at 49ers, 7:20 p.m., NBC — Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark will call it. With three Christmas games locked in and two Saturday windows open, this will be tough to flex.
Week 18: vs. Lions, TBD, TBD — This week also has two Saturday windows open, as well as Sunday night. Let’s heighten the drama: The game has meaning for both teams, the league puts it at 3:25 p.m. on Fox – and gives Amin another home game.
Remote patrol
ESPN 1000 announced a new lineup that will debut Sept. 2 to accommodate “The Rich Eisen Show.” “Kap & J.Hood” moves to 6-9 a.m., “Carmen and Jurko” moves to 9-noon, Eisen’s national show airs from noon-2 p.m., “Bleck and Abdalla” join the lineup from 2-3 p.m. and “Waddle & Silvy” airs from 3-6:30 p.m.
• WGN TV, Marquee Sports Network and The Score will air Ryne Sandberg’s funeral at 10 a.m. Friday. NBC 5 will stream the service on its app, website and 24/7 channel. Old St. Patrick’s Church is allowing the Cubs to televise the service, and the club is making the feed available.
• The Score reached a multiyear agreement with the Chicago Marathon to continue carrying the race, which will be run Oct. 12.
NFL BROADCAST CREWS
Play-by-play, analyst, reporter
CBS
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson
Ian Eagle, JJ Watt, Evan Washburn
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins
Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis, Jason McCourty, AJ Ross
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, Aditi Kinkhabwala
Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, TBD*
*-reporter will rotate
FOX
Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi
Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver
Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez, Kristina Pink
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan Olivi
Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston, Allison Williams
Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth, Jen Hale