The first set of projected win totals has been released and the Chicago Bears don’t even figure to win 10 games … but there is a catch:
2019 NFL win totals via @CGTechnology_
HIGHEST
Patriots 11
Chiefs, Rams, Saints 10.5
Chargers 10
BEARS, Colts, Eagles 9.5 pic.twitter.com/T5tjN4IqGM— Joe Ostrowski (@JoeO670) March 31, 2019
Alright, so the Bears’ 2019 win total has been set at 9.5 wins, which is the sixth most in the NFL and most among the teams in the NFC North. That’s not bad! CG Technology, which provides its odds to the Venetian, Palazzo, Palms, and Cosmopolitan hotels in Las Vegas, has the Packers and Vikings close behind the Bears with nine wins apiece, while the Lions round out the division with seven wins.
But still … just nine-and-a-half wins for the reigning NFC North champs? THAT’S IT!?
Pfffft, whatever.
Only the Patriots, Chiefs, Rams, Saints, and Chargers are projected to win more games next season. The Pats lead the way with 11 as they defends their Super Bowl title. Then the Chiefs, Rams, and Saints each open the year with their respective win totals set at 10.5. And the Chargers round out the top-5 with a projected 10-win season. The Colts and Eagles join the Bears at 9.5 wins, which suggests Chicago is still viewed as a team among the league’s upper echelon. That’s not bad company to be hanging with, all things considered.
The Bears won 12 games and a division title in 2018 with a first-year coach and second-year quarterback. And yet, this early release of projected NFL win totals believes they’re not going to reach those highs again in 2019. At least it’s not as if the Bears are projected to fall off entirely, but a step back is still a step back.