The Chicago Bears have won a grand total of 13 games the last three years combined. It’s safe to say the John Fox era is hanging by a thread. Though upper management made a bold move in the draft this past offseason trading away a ton of picks to draft what they believe to be the future of the franchise in quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, Fox and the rest of his coaching cronies might not be around to see him flourish if the team doesn’t take steps in the right direction this season. Oddsmakers are selling what the Bears are trying to sell with the team’s season win total set at 5.5 with the juice shaded to the low side of that number.
Chicago Bears Futures Odds at BookMaker.eu
Bears Over 5.5 Wins -101
Bears Under 5.5 Wins -119
2017 Bears Offense Preview
Chicago ranked in the middle of the road in both passing and rushing yardage last season. If not for rookie phenom running back Jordan Howard, it’s likely the Bears wouldn’t have come close to averaging the 108.4 rushing yards per game they ended up churning out. He didn’t start out as the RB1, but it only took a few short weeks for Fox and company to realize who their best option was out of the backfield. Howard is now the bell cow and will be looking to build upon a 2016-17 campaign that saw him rush for a Bears rookie record 1,313 yards and 5.2 yards per carry.
The interior of the O-Line is as solid as it comes and will be even better should Kyle long be completely recovered from the shoulder and ankle injuries that forced him to miss half of last season. Both tackle spots leave a bit to be desired, but are adequate. Whether it’s Mike Glennon or Trubisky under center for a bulk of the season, they will be throwing to a newly formed wide receiver corps that was meshed together in free agency. Ryan Pace is hoping this is the year Kevin White shows why he was drafted so high a couple years back. Tight end Zach Miller and wide receiver Cameron Meredith figure to be the most productive pass catchers.
2017 Bears Defense Preview
The 3-13 record Chicago played to last season was the worst 16-game mark in franchise history. Much of that had to do with a defense that couldn’t find a way to force a turnover even if the opposing team didn’t play with an offensive line. For a franchise that prides itself on wreaking havoc and forcing miscues, 11 total turnovers is simply unacceptable. The defense forced three fumbles and eight interceptions which tied for the fewest turnovers forced in a season in NFL history.
Still, there were some positives to rally around last season and they mainly came in the form of defensive end Akiem Hicks and linebacker Leonard Floyd. The former is a stout run defender that also came up with a career-high seven sacks and proved to be durable by partaking in 86.5 percent of the defensive snaps. The latter shined in his rookie campaign also tallying seven sacks while being a high-motor defender the Bears could rely upon to make plays. Should Eddie Goldman be fully recovered from the ankle injury that destroyed his 2016-17 season, the Bears front seven could be a terror to deal with.
2017 Chicago Bears Schedule Analysis
The first six weeks of the season just might have Bears’ fans ready to jump off the Sears Tower. The season kicks off with a home tilt against the reigning NFC champion Atlanta Falcons. From there, they’ll make the trek to Tampa Bay where they were thrashed 36-10 as 2.5 point favorites last season. Up next is a home date with Big Ben and the vaunted offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then they get to go up to Lambeau Field for their predictable butt kicking at the hands of the Packers. After that emotional matchup, they return home to take on the unforgiving defense of the Minnesota Vikings.
John Fox is severely up against it this season. It’s hard to believe this is a last place schedule, but alas, this is what it is. It doesn’t let up until the final five weeks when San Francisco and Cleveland show up on the schedule, but the other three games will take place on the road. Wins look to be few and far between. Even if the team stays relatively healthy, it’s tough to find six spots to suggest going over this total.
The Final Verdict
Being a die-hard Bears fan, it’s been tough to watch the product my beloved team has marched onto the field for the last four seasons. While the light can now be seen in the distance at the end of the tunnel, it’s still far away. There’s some nice pieces to the puzzle on the 2017-18 roster, but it’s not enough to lead me to believe Chicago will be making any kind of noise in the NFC North. Way too many things need to break right for the Bears just to win the division. While those days are closer, the unit currently assembled simply doesn’t have the overall depth and talent to double last year’s win total. Let’s call it five wins and the Bears have a new coach next season.
NFL Odds: Chicago Bears Under 5.5 Wins -119
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