The Chicago Bears are in rebuilding mode. After a decade of mediocrity in which the Bears were constantly hanging around .500 under Jay Cutler, the team finally decided to part ways with the veteran quarterback. Chicago now enters this season mired in a quarterback controversy that the team did not want after signing Mike Glennon and drafting Mitchell Trubisky. There are a lot of holes on this roster and there’s a reason why this team is 35-1 to win this division.
NFC North Odds at BookMaker.eu
Green Bay Packers -237
Minnesota Vikings +325
Detroit Lions +545
Chicago Bears +3500
Why the Chicago Bears Will Win the NFC North
It would take a lot for the Bears to win this division. Chicago would likely need Green Bay to collapse and the Vikings and Lions to continue to be mediocre to have a chance. While the Lions are a prime candidate for regression and Sam Bradford has never had a winning record as the starting quarterback, the Packers are the team that Chicago has to worry about the most.
The Bears will need one of their two quarterbacks to surprise everyone and have a nice year. The more likely option is Trubisky, even though he is a rookie. Trubisky has been very good in training camp and preseason and is a very good decision maker. He is pretty accurate and capable of making throws on the run. Additionally, his mobility gives the Bears a leg up on every other team in the division.
Although Chicago was a relative dumpster fire last season, Jordan Howard ended up putting up solid numbers as a rookie. Howard averaged 5.2 yards per carry and ran for at least 77 yards in each of the Bears’ last nine games. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and should be even better this year. Howard is great at picking up yards after contact and has a strong motor.
Chicago’s defensive line is very underrated. Eddie Goldman is a solid run-stopper in the middle of the line, but struggled with injuries last season. Teams need to double team him in order to stop him from blowing up their interior line. Akiem Hicks is a load at defensive end too.
Why the Chicago Bears Won't Win the NFC North
The quarterback situation is probably going to derail this team’s chances out of the gate. Although Trubisky is promising, he only started one year in college and it’s likely that he will struggle once the season gets underway. As for Glennon, most analysts scoffed when the Bears gave him the ridiculous contract that they did. He has not proven to be anything more than a good backup. This is the worst quarterback situation in the division heading into the season.
It doesn’t help that the quarterbacks don’t have good receivers to throw to. While Cameron Meredith turned out to be a nice surprise last season, he mostly benefited from being a No. 2 receiver opposite Alshon Jeffery. Meredith is going to have a hard time as a No. 1 receiver and won’t be able to get open as often as he did last year.
The No. 2 receiver position is up in the air and there are no good options. Kevin White hasn’t lived up to his billing as a No. 1 pick, Victor Cruz is well past his prime, Markus Wheaton just broke a finger, and Kendall Wright was never that impressive in Tennessee.
Chicago is breaking in an entirely new secondary and it will take some time for the unit to mesh. Talentwise, this unit is an upgrade from what it was last season, but there are a lot of moving parts in the back four. Prince Amukamara was a good pickup, but Marcus Cooper and Quentin Demps are both gambles. This unit should be better in 2018, but will struggle to mesh this year.
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