NFL playoffs: How your team can make it
57. . NFC. North. Chicago Bears. 4. player
Can Jay Cutler finally get back on track? Can the offensive line block? Can the defense stop anybody? If the Chicago Bears can give answers in the affirmative to all three of those questions, the playoffs could be on the horizon. Last year, the Bears were 5-5 and looked like a potential postseason contender, but then lost the final six games, leading to the ousting of then-head coach Marc Trestman.
With new head coach John Fox in house, Chicago has renewed hope. Fox has been to the Super Bowl with two different franchises throughout his NFL career, so the Bears are getting one of the more accomplished men in the game. Fox has led prolific offenses before and has plenty of weapons to work with in Cutler, Martellus Bennett, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte. Add in rookie reciever and first-round pick Kevin White, and the sky is the limit for this group.
Having a big-time offense is always nice, but with the Bears it is going to be necessary. The defense has some building blocks but the unit as a whole still has major problems. Under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Chicago needs to drastically improve against the run and in getting pressure on the quarterback. If the defense can rank in the late teens, Fangio did very well.
Ultimately, the Bears must win a bunch of 31-28 games. It is possible, especially with the playmakers all over the offense. The defense can be mediocre but needs to force some turnovers, giving the offense a short field to work with and allowing them to build up multi-possession leads. It is far from impossible for Chicago to make the playoffs, but some thing will certainly have to bounce correctly.
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