Chicago Bears: 5 Must-Win Games of 2016 Season

There are only 16 games in an NFL regular season. So all of them are important, but there are certain ones the Chicago Bears know they can’t afford to lose.

Most often they are the obvious choice. Divisional games that have such an important final impact on the standing of a team in the playoff hunt. Still there are other ones to consider. Road games against other teams who might be in the running for a wild card. Revenge matchups that will help settle a score. Also the ever rare opportunity to do something the franchise has never done before. All of that is on the table for the Bears this season, and it starts from the very beginning.

Week 1 @ Houston Texans

There are few things that make this game so important to the Bears. For starters it’s the first one of the year. Winning the first game can do lots for a team in terms of building momentum. In fact every time Chicago has gone to the playoffs and won at least one game there, it was in a season where they won the opener. This goes all the way back to 1963. However, the reasons go deeper than that. One thing fans might not know is that the Bears have never beaten the Texans. Not once since they first became a franchise in 2002. That’s a anomaly that must be corrected.

Then there is the matter of taking advantage of a rare opportunity. Word has steadily grown that the Texans could play the first couple weeks of the regular season without superstar pass rusher J.J. Watt. This is a godsend for the Bears who are nursing a young offensive, particularly at left guard with Cody Whitehair. It’s a massive break of good fortune this team can’t afford to waste. Not if they’re the playoff-caliber team they believe they are.

Next: DAL