Here are the eight road opponents for the 2014 Chicago Bears: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Carolina, Atlanta, San Francisco, New York Jets, New England.

Here are some scenarios Bears fans should hope for/dread when it comes to the scheduling of this games. (The NFL schedule is rumored to be released tomorrow but may be delayed another week.) I am not writing a similar column about the home schedule because I’m a firm believer that championship contenders should go 6-2 (at worst) at home regardless of who comes into their building and when.

• Start with a travel note. I’m hoping the NFL sends the Bears to Charlotte on Sunday October 12th as the NASCAR boys are racing in town the previous night. It would create an amazing sports weekend in an underrated city.
• With the Bears defense going through a re-definition of sorts, Bears fans would most likely prefer not see the team in Detroit, GB, Atlanta or New England over the first month of the season.
• Here’s a schedule nightmare: Bears opening Sunday night at San Francisco. New stadium, liquored up fans, physical defense. Hardest possible way to open year.

• Later in the season for Bears at Jets, the better. By mid-November the Jets faithful may be checked out and that should lead to a Meadowlands more than half-filled with Bears fans.
• Is it worth rooting for the Bears to travel to Atlanta after Devin Hester has had significant time to break the record? (By the way, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Falcons win the NFC South this year. That organization took the perfect approach to 2013. They acknowledged the impact of injuries and didn’t overreact.)
• We know there will be a division contest on the final weekend of the season and I’m hoping that means Bears at Vikings. The NFC North belongs outdoors and I’d like to see that game played in below zero temperatures.

It’s not a Pulitzer Prize-winning column but there are certainly important elements to consider as we approach the schedule release.

If you’re interested, Forbes has a piece wherein they guess the ten most expensive tickets at the box office for the coming NFL season. I read it.