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Durkin: Rapid Reaction To Bears' 2015 Schedule

By Dan Durkin--

(CBS) In the seemingly never ending cycle of NFL news, the Bears' 2015 schedule was released Tuesday evening. With the draft yet to take place and more than four months of offseason activities still to take place around the league, here's my very preliminary reaction to what's in store this fall.

1) Brutal beginning: The schedule makers certainly didn't ease John Fox into his new post. Two of Chicago's first three opponents (Green Bay and Seattle) played for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and were able to keep the core of their rosters intact, none more important than their trigger men, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Rodgers is 12-2 (including the playoffs) in games he's started and finished against the Bears, 7-1 at Soldier Field. Chicago hosts Green Bay on Sept. 13 to open the season.

2) Primetime penalty box: After appearing in six primetime games in 2014 (including their Thanksgiving day game in Detroit) and going 2-4 in the process, the Bears have only two primetime games in 2015 -- a Week 9 Monday Night Football matchup in San Diego and another Thanksgiving day road trip, this time in Green Bay. Obviously, the Bears are one of the league's most recognizable brands, but they weren't competitive in the majority of their national appearances last season, and the league power brokers reacted accordingly.

3) Tough pass defenses: The Bears retooled receiving corps -- minus Brandon Marshall, plus Eddie Royal and a potential draft pick -- and new scheme guided by offensive coordinator Adam Gase will be challenged all season long, particularly right out of the gate. Three of the Bears' first five opponents -- Green Bay, Seattle and Kansas City -- ranked 10th, first and second in pass defense in 2014, respectively. Expanding the scope a bit, three others -- San Diego, Minnesota and Denver -- also finished in the top 10, bringing that total up to six.

4) Nine games against 2014 non-playoff teams: It's year one of a new regime, and the Bears are clearly in rebuilding mode, so expectations should be adjusted accordingly. But only Green Bay, Detroit, Seattle, Arizona and Denver made the playoffs last season, and only seven of their opponents had winning records in 2014. That leaves the Bears with nine games against non-playoff teams.

5) Grudge matches for Fox, Gase and Fangio: In Week 11, the Bears play host to Denver, Fox and Gase's former team, while in Week 13 they travel to San Francisco to face defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's former employer. Granted, the NFL is a transient league for players and coaches, but coaches get juiced up for games against their former teams -- even if they don't admit it.

To reiterate a point from earlier, it's a rebuilding year for the Bears. They're installing new schemes, systems and terminology with a large number of new players, so it will be a challenge for everyone involved. Throw in the strong possibility that they'll be playing with a new quarterback in the 2016 season, and it looks like they're at least two seasons away from being back in the playoff mix.

Dan Durkin covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter at @djdurkin.

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