In an attempt to forecast the 2019 NFL season, Seth Walder and the ESPN analytics team ran through the schedule 20,000 times using the World Wide Leader’s proprietary Football Power Index, prediction, and projection system. From there, one season-long simulation — No. 1,721 to be precise — was chosen. Unfortunately, Bears fans aren’t going to like what the projection system spit out.
Simulation No. 1,721 predicts a big-time rebound year for the Packers, who turn the tables and win the NFC North — and by a wide margin, might I add. Green Bay is projected to go 13-3, win the division, and have the top seed in the NFC playoffs. As for Chicago, the regression monster his to the tune of an 8-7-1 record, which is just enough to keep the Bears out of the playoffs.
Because of alllllllll the simulations that could have been chosen, this is the one that had to be picked. YUCK!
This specific projection sees the Bears getting off to a rough 0-3 start, citing a “precipitous drop” in Mitch Trubisky’s QBR and the defense taking a turn for the worst. In fact, things are looking quite bleak as the Bears head into the bye with a 1-4 record. Things are so bad in this simulation, the Bears lose to the Raiders in London. Ick! No! Why!? How?!?!? Wait … do I even really want to know?
What is odd about this hand-picked simulation is that the Bears have some quality wins. They are projected to beat the Saints, Eagles, Packers (on the road!), and Chiefs. Those would all be quality wins for the Bears, especially if they were to happen in real life. But getting swept by the Lions? Come on, man. Are we sure all of the numbers were punched in correctly, software was up to date? Frankly, I’m not convinced it was if the projections show a Lions sweep of the Bears in 2019.