3 things we already know about the Bears schedule before the official reveal

The NFL schedule won't be officially unveiled until tonight, but as per tradition, the leaks have been slowly dripping out over the past day or so. In a few hours time we'll know the date and time for all 17 regular season games the Chicago Bears will play. About half of those are already known, and that picture, incomplete though it may be, tells an interesting story.

The Bears are aiming to get back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Unlike last year, when the team opted to stick with Matt Eberflus despite a 10-24 record in his first two seasons in charge, this season doesn't hinge on the hope that an old dog can learn new tricks. Ben Johnson, former offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, has been hired to reshape the future of the franchise, and his arrival comes with more fanfare than the Bears have had since Mike Ditka roamed the sideline.

Johnson won't be coaching the same old roster, either. The Bears were aggressive this offseason on the personnel front, as general manager Ryan Poles upgraded the offensive line with the acquisitions of Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman and rookie Ozzy Trapilo, while also bolstering the defensive line by adding Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo and rookie Shemar Turner.

Even the offensive skill positions have undergone a makeover. Keenan Allen is gone, but in his place are second-rounder Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay. Cole Kmet has company at tight end, as the Bears used the 10th overall pick on Michigan's Colston Loveland.

Few teams have undergone a makeover quite like the Bears have this offseason, but with one of the most difficult schedules in the league facing them, it's going to be fascinating to see how it all plays out. Here's what we know so far:

That's eight out of 17 games that have been revealed, but it's already more than enough to tell us some things about this team.

The NFL believes the hype about the Bears

It's not often that a team that went 5-12 the previous season gets much national TV love, but it looks like the league office believes in what the Bears are doing. Already we know of two Monday Night Football appearances in the first six weeks, a standalone game on Black Friday against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and another game that the whole country will be watching when the Bears host the Green Bay Packers in Week 16.

Those four teams went a combined 51-17 last year, and all four made the playoffs. Bears fans have been made to suffer through more than their fair share of primetime letdowns in recent years, and the team had better bring their A game in these matchups if it wants to avoid a similar fate.

Being put on Monday Night Football in Week 1 against a division opponent is a hell of a way to start the season. We also know that the Lions and Packers will be playing each other to start the year, so two teams will immediately be able to get off to a head start while two others fall into an early hole.

The Vikings will probably be starting JJ McCarthy for the very first time after his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. The Bears can't be overconfident for this one though, not after what Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was able to do with Sam Darnold last year. The Vikings will be ready and looking to build on last year's 14-3 finish.

Dennis Allen better have his defense ready by time fall hits

There is an absolutely nasty string of quarterbacks that the Bears will face in a four-week stretch in October and November, and the defense better be ready or it's going to get ugly. The Bears will take on Jayden Daniels, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in a four-week span, all on the road. It's a good thing the Bears don't play the Bills or the Chiefs this year, otherwise they'd probably be seeing Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes in Week 7.

This is an evil stretch, and to have each of these games come on the road will provide a real test for where the Bears are at. New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has pieces on his defense to give him a chance against these high-powered attacks, such as Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Montez Sweat, but it'll take a total team effort to slow these quarterbacks down.

The game against the Commanders is going to be circled in red marker after Daniels beat the Bears with a walk-off Hail Mary. That play sent the Bears' once-promising season spiraling out of control, as it kickstarted a 10-game losing streak. It'll also be the second meeting between Daniels and Caleb Williams, who will forever be measured against each other after being the top two picks in the 2024 draft.

The game against the Bengals could also have an extra layer of intrigue if the Bears' rumored interest in Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is true. Hendrickson recently said that he doesn't plan to play for Cincy if he isn't given a new contract, and many pundits believe the Bears could be first in line to trade for his services. If that happens and Hendrickson is chasing Joe Burrow in that game instead of Caleb Williams, it's going to look very different.

Ben Johnson will get the ultimate chance to show the Lions what they're missing

The Bears will conclude their season at Soldier Field against the Detroit Lions, Ben Johnson's old team. The Lions had a phenomenal year last year until a mountain of injuries proved to be their ultimate undoing in the playoffs. Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left to take head coaching jobs, leaving head coach Dan Campbell to restock the coaching cupboard with a team that still has Super Bowl aspirations.

If Johnson has the Bears in position to clinch a playoff spot heading into that final game (let alone if they actually have a chance to win the division over Detroit), then this could be the game of the week that gets flexed to primetime. The Bears are looking up at every team in the NFC North, but it's the Lions that are the current standard-bearers. Beating them to end the regular season would be proof that they hired the righ guy this offseason.

We'll have much more as the full schedule is revealed, but for now Bears fans, better start saving up if you hope to see this team play this year. If the NFL is right, the Bears are going to be a hot ticket.