The Bears have an incredible defense. The offense is improving. And both sides of the ball are under Matt Nagy’s direction–my pick for Coach of the Year.
Many people will look at the title and laugh. That’s unless you’re a Bears fan!
Hey! I understand. You have the high-powered Saints, Chiefs, and Rams–along with formidable contenders like the Vikings, Chargers, Seahawks, Steelers, Texans–and, of course, the Patriots, with others on the bubble. The NFC is a very tough conference this season with contenders and heavyweights in New Orleans and Los Angeles.
If the Bears are to win the Super Bowl, they’ll first have to get through the gauntlet that is the NFC.
The Bears best hope for a championship run is to get a top-two seed in the conference with a bye. But that will be an extremely tough task. The Rams and Saints are sitting high with 10-1 records, while the Bears are two games back at 8-3.
However, there are still five games left on the schedule, and anything can happen in this great game. Remaining Bears games are against the Giants, Packers, Vikings, Rams, and 49ers. They can win 3 or 4 of those games, but (let’s face it) even 12 wins may not get a bye in the challenging NFC.
Even if Chicago doesn’t get a bye, they’ll still be a tough out. The reason is defense.
The Bears ARE “The Monsters of the Midway!” Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, and many others (including rookie linebacker Roquan Smith) are giving opposing offenses night sweats.
The Bears secondary has also improved, which allows Mack and Company to get to quarterbacks at an alarming rate. Eddie Jackson and Prince Amukamara have stepped up their games. They’re creating turnovers. Stats-wise, the Bears are second in the NFL in both points allowed (19.2) and rushing defense (80 y.p.g.). They’re no slouch on pass defense, either (235 y.p.g.).
Defenses like the Bears 2018 version come around once every ten years or so. We’ve seen the “Steel Curtain” in Pittsburgh and the “Purple People Eaters” in Minnesota. We’ve had the Dolphins “No Name Defense” and the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome.”
‘No-name,’ but still outstanding defenses, were the Ravens of 2000 and the Tampa Bay Bucs (when the Bucs ran the “Tampa 2” to perfection).
The question is: Do the Bears of 2018 have what those great defenses had — the ability to lead their teams to Super Bowl Sunday?
Mike Nagy has reasons to smile (photo, Sun-Times)
On top of being the best defense in the league, the offense has also turned up its game under New Age coach Matt Nagy. Andy Reid tutored Nagy. That means Nagy knows how to innovate schemes and alignments on offense. What’s more, Nagy has evolved with the game– much like his mentor in Kansas City–and creates situations to get his best players the ball.
Tarik Cohen may not be Tyreek Hill, but he is used just like him, and effectively, too. The Bears run the ball up the gut to open up the passing game. RPO’s are used to keep defenses honest.
Everyone knows how good Kareem Hunt is, but Jordan Howard is no slouch. He moves the football up the gut and wears defenses down. And guys like Taylor Gabriel and Anthony Miller have added an extra dimension to the offense along with the downfield big-play capability of Allen Robinson.
Then there’s Mitch Trubisky. He’s quietly neck-to-neck with Cam Newton for most rushing yards gained by a quarterback. Just as Patrick Mahomes uses his legs to extend and make plays, Trubisky uses his athleticism to get out of the pocket and gain positive yards. He has the knack of turning nothing into something.
What I like most about Trubisky is that he has qualities and pure instinct you can’t coach.
Another doppelganger is Trey Burton, who is used very similarly to the way the Chiefs line up Travis Kelce. Both teams come out with some whacky formations and frequently put players in motion to gain matchup advantages on the perimeter.
Constant misdirection and trickery keep defenses on their heels. They’re constantly guessing, often overpursuing, which leaves the backside vulnerable.
It all adds up to this: the Bears seemed poised to win the NFC North division and make a legit playoff run–even if Mitch has to sit from injury for another game or two. We saw on Thanksgiving Day what Chase Daniels could do, although the Bears would love to have Trubisky back in two weeks against the Packers in a revenge game from the season opener.
The bottom line is that Chicago’s defense is ferocious. It’s a dying breed that can win you games. That’s especially difficult to do against high-flying offenses that score 40 points a game as the quarterback throws for 300+ yards every week.
But can the Bears play great defense against some of these great offenses of today’s NFL? I think the answer is yes. I doubt the Rams or Saints can drop 35+ points on this Bears’ defense. Besides, Chicago should be able to score against a weak Rams’ defense. The Saints are a different story. New Orleans may be the league’s most complete team. It has a good defense with a potent offense.
Yes, I can see the Bears making a run to the NFC title game. And I wouldn’t be shocked if they win the NFC. Reasons? Chicago has an incredible defense and is making week-to-week strides on offense. And both sides of the ball are under the direction of Matt Nagy, who’s my front-runner for Coach of the Year.
It looks like the Bears are back, folks. And I think they’re here to stay!
