NFL Record Predictions: Where do the Redskins end up in the pack?
By Ian Cummings
Chicago Bears
The Bears dominance of the NFC North was impressive last season, but while I want them to have sustained success, as a candid Lions fan who’s seen the Bears’ roller coaster twenty-first century up close, there are too many questions surrounding this team for me to make them a playoff inclusion, especially in this tough division.
The Bears offense took a step up last year, and Mitchell Trubisky showed moderate growth, but the unit still ended up 21st in points per game and 20th in yards per play. Chicago’s success can be more attributed to its outright dominant defense; under Vic Fangio, the Bears allowed just 4.8 yards per play and 17.4 first downs per game, both the lowest allowed in the league by NFL defenses. They also generated a whopping 36 takeaways, five takeaways ahead of the next best defense.
Those defensive numbers are bound for a regression; the Bears defense is still talented, but it doesn’t have Vic Fangio anymore to maximize its potential with schematic brilliance. In the secondary, they lost Adrian Amos, one of the league’s most reliable safeties, and replaced him with former Redskins safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, achieving a stark downgrade. They also lost versatile cornerback Bryce Callahan, chipping away at their secondary just a bit more.
Don’t get me wrong; the Bears defense is still very good. But in 2018, they were elite in every way, and they carried the Bears inconsistent offense into the playoffs. That defense won’t be able to shoulder the entire weight this year, and thus, they’ll need consistent development from Trubisky. There are still some crucial mental hoops for Trubisky to leap before I can say he’s ready to lead a playoff run. He joined one in 2018. But soon, he’ll be asked to lead it, and I don’t think he’s ready yet.