2019 NFL Power Rankings: Who heads into summer at No. 1?
By Ian Cummings
No. 12 – Chicago Bears
Before 2019, the Chicago Bears hadn’t had a season above .500 since 2012. Now that the days of sorrow are in the past, the Bears can focus on maintaining their window of contention, rather than finding a new one. They’ll have to be careful, however; this window is particularly fragile, and resting on one’s laurels is a good way to fall behind, especially in the tight NFC North race.
Offensively, the Bears saw drastic improvement under first-year head coach Matt Nagy, but there is still work to be done. Mitchell Trubisky improved in 2019, but still struggles with his reads often, and could stand to be more measured in the pocket. With Jordan Howard gone to Philadelphia, the Bears will need to be creative with their current running back stable. Creativity shouldn’t be a problem for Nagy, but the lack of a standout back, aside from gadget back Tarik Cohen, could be a source of gridlock later on.
The Bears’ receiving core is deep with suitable talent, however, and the offensive line is one of the league’s better units. As long as Trubisky continues to develop, the Bears’ offense should maintain respectability, although a massive leap from Trubisky might not occur as some expect. More likely is the possibility that growing pains continue to plague Trubisky for another season, before he truly masters the mental portion of the quarterback position.
On defense, there are perhaps bigger questions for the Bears. Yes, Khalil Mack is still in Chicago, and the defense has other budding stars such as Roquan Smith and Eddie Jackson to compliment the three-time All-Pro. But the team lost defensive mastermind Vic Fangio as its coordinator, and in the secondary, multiple starting spots have been subjected to change. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is a sizable downgrade from Adrian Amos, and the slot cornerback position is up for grabs with Bryce Callahan now in Denver.
The Bears should still be competitive in 2019, but in 2018, they took advantage of a weaker NFC North to go 12-4. In 2019, the division is strengthened, and the Bears are not as imposing as they were last year. If Trubisky’s development spikes, then the Bears could assert their dominance again. But as of now, there are mysteries that remain unchecked.