Bears were robbed of a home game to play in London but the team is hoping for a similar environment in Week 6
As the Chicago Bears get set to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, it won't be a traditional home game, for obvious reasons.When the Bears and Jaguars will be facing off in London, England, Chicago will be the designated home team, meaning they lost a potential home game on the 2024 schedule to play […]
As the Chicago Bears get set to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, it won't be a traditional home game, for obvious reasons.
When the Bears and Jaguars will be facing off in London, England, Chicago will be the designated home team, meaning they lost a potential home game on the 2024 schedule to play in London.
Why is that a big deal? Because the Bears currently hold the longest active home winning streak (eight games) in the league dating back to last season.
Even though the Bears won't be playing in their normal home environment at Soldier Field, the team is hoping to get the same support in London based on the number of fans they've seen around town this week.
"Make it loud as possible," general manager Ryan Poles said on Wednesday. "Make it into a home game. Our fanbase is unbelievable. I've talked to my group, just from my travels around Bears fans are popping up all over the place. It's a beautiful thing and I can't wait to see our fans here in the U.K."
The Bears arrived in London on Tuesday morning and began preparations for the week. The team wanted to arrive early to get accustomed to the jet lag in order to be fully ready to go by the weekend. Due to Hurricane Milton, the Jaguars aren't set to arrive over the pond until at least Friday after having their flights delayed.
While there seems to be a large number of Bears fans present in London, the city has become a second home for the Jaguars. Jacksonville has played 11 games in London with a 6-5 record, including wins in three of their last four games.
Even still, everyone inside the Bears organization are expecting to see a big showing from their resident fans overseas.
"I'm excited to see all the Chicago Bears fans that are over here for the game. I know they'll be loud and be representing over here in London," head coach Matt Eberflus said on Wednesday. "They'd be part of the best fan base in the world if they joined the Chicago Bear fan base. We're a team on the rise, so I think it's a good time to be a fan and join us."
Eberflus' comments aren't just fluff. The Bears are an exciting team right now lead by some experienced veterans paired with exciting young players who are starting to catch fire at the right time. The biggest draw in London on Sunday will be Bears' rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who's coming off another stellar performance.
"We got great people leading us from the top down and we're on the way up in terms of the progress," Williams said when asked why fans should support the Bears.
Hopefully the crowd buys into what the Bears are doing on the field and makes it a great environment for the team early on Sunday.
