Matt Nagy’s squad has been a .500 team since winning the NFC North in 2018. Are the Chicago Bears capable of bigger things this season?
Best-case scenario
The Chicago defense regains a form similar to the 2018 season when coordinator Vic Fangio put together a unit that was third in the league in fewest yards allowed. That year, the Bears allowed an NFL-low 283 points while the team came up with a league-high 36 takeaways. The offseason addition of Khalil Mack was a major catalyst.
But this unit just didn’t have the same room under Chuck Pagano, who is now retired. Sean Desai takes over as defensive coordinator. It’s his ninth year with the organization and has an opportunity to make a name for himself. It’s worth noting that the past two seasons combined, the less-than-opportunistic Bears have forced just 37 turnovers.
Worst-case scenario
Matt Nagy’s club is once again playing musical chairs with its quarterbacks. Veteran Andy Dalton is the expected starter for the Week 1 prime time clash with the Rams at Los Angeles. But general manager Ryan Pace did give up a lot in this year’s draft to move up and select Ohio State’s Justin Fields. And the former Buckeye showed well during the preseason.
And keep in mind that as of this writing, one-time Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles remains on the roster. A year ago, he wound up starting seven games while 2017 first-round pick Mitch Trubisky (now with the Bills) opened for nine contests, as well as the wild card clash with the Saints. The Bears can least afford to have another season of instability behind center.
X-factor
In 2020, general manager Ryan Pace used a second-round pick on tight end Cole Kmet. And last offseason, the Bears signed veteran Jimmy Graham. The former finished with 28 catches, two for scores. Graham finished fourth on the club with 50 receptions but led Chicago with eight touchdown grabs.
But in late July, the club signed one-time Pittsburgh Steelers’ performer Jesse James. He caught his share of passes for Mike Tomlin’s team but signed with the Lions in 2019. After totaling 120 receptions in four seasons with the Black and Gold, he finished with just 30 catches in two seasons with the Lions. James has made his presence felt this preseason.
Biggest game – Week 12 at Detroit
It’s a Thanksgiving afternoon clash in the Motor City and the second meeting of the season (Week 4 at Chicago) between the longtime rivals. But it’s also the start of a crucial stretch for Matt Nagy’s team. Over the final seven weeks of 2021, the Bears will play four divisional games. That includes both meeting with the Vikings, with three of those contests on the road.
This past season, the club finished 8-8 and earned a playoff berth. But Chicago managed a disappointing 2-4 record vs. their division rivals. And they lost to the visiting Lions in Week 13, Detroit’s only win over an NFC North neighbor since 2019.
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Bold prediction
Buoyed by a revitalized defensive unit and just enough offense led by whoever winds up playing quarterback, the Bears wind up winning more games than they lose. But despite finishing above .500, Matt Nagy’s team fails to qualify for the playoffs – somewhat ironic considering they reached the postseason with an 8-8 mark in 2020.
It’s the fourth season for Chicago’s current head coach and there’s a sense that he and general manager Ryan Pace are feeling a little heat. A winning campaign would be a step in the right direction after a .500 campaign that despite resulting in a playoff berth was lowlighted by a six-game losing streak.
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