Write Now Blog

Bears eager to get into regular routine

Given their unorthodox schedule, getting into a regular routine hasn’t been easy for the Bears. That’s why they’re happy about playing back-to-back games at noon on Sunday the next two weeks for the first time this season.

The Bears’ first six games have been played on three different days of the week (Sunday, Monday and Thursday) and at four different times (noon, 3:05 p.m., 7:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.). They played their first two games in a five-day span and since have had breaks of 10 and 15 days between games.

“It does help that you can get into some kind of routine,” said offensive coordinator Mike Tice. “We had 15 days off [before Monday night’s win over the Lions] and it just didn’t feel as crisp as we wanted it to be. We felt a little off.

“So it is good to get into a real routine of a regular week and a regular day game where you go down and you have a meeting the night before the game and you have a regular Friday and maybe I can see my wife Diane when she’s awake and different things like that.”

Quarterback Jay Cutler is also looking forward to playing the Bears’ next two games at noon on Sunday at home against the Panthers and in Tennessee versus the Titans.

“Whenever we take three or four days off practice and then come back it’s always kind of a feel-it-out kind of sloppy practice, and then the next day we come back sharp,” Cutler said.

“We had 15 days off without playing a game. It’s hard to do. I think it’s good for us to go Sunday-Sunday and kind of get in a little bit of a routine and get back in schedule.”