With the NFL season expanding from 16 to 17 games, the number of matchups determined by where teams finished in the previous year's standings also has increased from two to three.
That could give certain teams an advantage and impact playoff races.
NFC North teams, for example, will all play each other twice and face all four clubs in the NFC West and AFC North in 2021. Two games against uncommon opponents will come versus teams that finished in the same place in the 2020 standings in the NFC East and NFC South.
As a result, the second-place Bears (8-8) will face the Giants (6-10) and Buccaneers (11-5). The division champion Packers (13-3) will play Washington (7-9) and the Saints (12-4). The third-place Vikings (7-9) will face the Cowboys (6-10) and the Panthers (5-11). And the fourth-place Lions (5-11) will face the Eagles (4-11-1) and Falcons (4-12).
In the 17th game that was added, NFC North teams this year will visit the AFC West club that finished in the same spot in last season's standings. That will result in the Bears playing the Raiders (8-8) in Las Vegas, the Packers facing the Chiefs (14-2) in Kansas City, the Vikings visiting the Chargers (7-9) in Los Angeles and the Lions playing the Broncos (5-11) in Denver.
Though teams change—often dramatically—from year-to-year, here are the combined 2020 records and winning percentages of the three uncommon opponents (listed above) the Bears and their NFC North counterparts will face in 2021:
- Packers (33-15, .688)
- Bears (25-23, .521)
- Vikings (18-30, .375)
- Lions (13-34-1, .281)
With the NFL expanding the regular-season schedule to 17 games, take a look at the Bears' finalized home and away matchups for the 2021 season.
Home vs. Arizona Cardinals
Last meeting in Chicago: Sept. 20, 2015
Score: Bears 23 - Cardinals 48
Home vs. San Francisco 49ers
Last meeting in Chicago: Dec. 3, 2017
Score: Bears 14 - 49ers 15
Home vs. Baltimore Ravens
Last meeting in Chicago: Nov. 17, 2013
Score: Bears 23 - Ravens 20
Home vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Last meeting in Chicago: Sept. 8, 2013
Score: Bears 24 - Bengals 21
Home vs. New York Giants
Last meeting in Chicago: Sept. 20, 2020
Score: Bears 17 - Giants 13
Home vs. Detroit Lions
Last meeting in Chicago: Dec. 6, 2020
Score: Bears 30 - Lions 34
Home vs. Minnesota Vikings
Last meeting in Chicago: Nov. 16, 2020
Score: Bears 13 - Vikings 19
Home vs. Green Bay Packers
Last meeting in Chicago: Jan. 3, 2021
Score: Bears 16 - Packers 35
Away vs. Los Angeles Rams
Last meeting in Los Angeles: Oct. 26, 2020
Score: Bears 10 - Rams 24
Away vs. Seattle Seahawks
Last meeting in Seattle: Sept. 27, 2015
Score: Bears 0 - Seahawks 26
Away vs. Cleveland Browns
Last meeting in Cleveland: Dec. 15, 2013
Score: Bears 38 - Browns 31
Away vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Last meeting in Pittsburgh: Sept. 22, 2013
Score: Bears 40 - Steelers 23
Away vs.Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last meeting in Tampa: Sept. 17, 2017
Score: Bears 7 - Buccaneers 29
Away vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Last meeting at Raiders: Oct. 6, 2019 (London)
Score: Bears 21 - Raiders 24
Away vs. Detroit Lions
Last meeting in Detroit: Sept. 13, 2020
Score: Bears 27 - Lions 23
Away vs. Minnesota Vikings
Last meeting in Minnesota: Dec. 20, 2020
Score: Bears 33 - Vikings 27
Away vs. Green Bay Packers
Last meeting in Green Bay: Nov. 29, 2020
Score: Bears 25 - Packers 41
