Most of the remnants from the previous regime have been discarded and the Bears are now general manager Ryan Pace’s and head coach John Fox’s team. And that’s a good thing. In Carolina, Fox’s team improved by four games from his first season to the second, reaching 11 wins and the Super Bowl in Year 2.
In Denver, the Broncos made a five-game improvement in their second season under Fox and reached the Super Bowl in the third. Coming off a 6-10 debut in Chicago, Fox’s Bears should be better, but they may be another year away from the playoffs, which have eluded the Bears eight times in the past nine years.
Chicago Bears Regular Season Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu
Bears Over 7.5 Wins ( +121)
Bears Under 7.5 Wins ( -144)
With nine free-agent additions followed by nine draft picks, Fox has his fingerprints all over the Bears roster. Four of the new free agents are former Broncos who played for Fox when he was the head coach in Denver. Danny Trevathan was the biggest pickup and should stabilize the defense at inside linebacker where the club was desperately thin.
There are two significant losses on the offensive side of the ball with longtime back Matt Forte gone after eight seasons in a Bears uniform and offensive coordinator Adam Gase off to Miami as the Dolphins’ new head coach.
Jeremy Langford will replace Forte, but the loss of Gase could be troubling for the enigmatic Jay Cutler. Under Gase’s tutelage in 2015, Cutler put together his best year statistically and reduced the turnovers that plagued him and the Bears in past seasons. The Bears are keeping some continuity in the offensive structure by promoting quarterbacks coach Dowall Loggains to offensive coordinator.
2016 Chicago Bears Schedule
Opening betting lines for the Bears in parentheses
Week 1: at Houston Texans ( +5)
Week 2: vs. Philadelphia Eagles ( -2.5)
Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys ( +6)
Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions ( -1.5)
Week 5: at Indianapolis Colts ( +3.5)
Week 6: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars ( -3.5)
Week 7: at Green Bay Packers ( +9)
Week 8: vs. Minnesota Vikings ( +2.5)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers ( +2)
Week 11: at New York Giants ( +4)
Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans ( -5)
Week 13: vs. San Francisco 49ers ( -5)
Week 14: at Detroit Lions ( +2.5)
Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers ( +5)
Week 16: vs. Washington Redskins (PK)
Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings
Based on last year’s records, the Bears will play the second-easiest schedule in the NFL in 2016, facing opponents that combined for a .461 winning percentage. By comparison, the teams the Bears faced in 2015 combined to post a record of 140-116 for .547 winning percentage last season. In addition, the Bears played four teams outside their division that finished with at least 10 wins in 2015 and won’t play any in 2016.
QUICK PICK
The Bears had a nice free agent haul and made some shrewd picks in the draft, making them winners in the offseason. They have a valid argument for moving up from fourth in the division, but some experts are a little too excited about this club.
The offense should be exciting with the receiver pair of Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White. While both players should be fun to watch, Cutler has shown so much inconsistency throughout his career that one good season doesn’t wipe out the several bad ones. Also, White has never touched the field in an actual NFL game and Jeffery is still working on a new contract.
The Bears lost several close games last season and the defense has been improved dramatically. Coordinator Vic Fangio has the horses to make this club the monsters once again. The schedule also works in Chicago’s favor, but teams that struggled last year are also getting better – at least that’s the plan. There are so many questions surrounding the Bears it makes them tough to judge. Eight wins and a .500 record is the ceiling. Anything more and Fox is up for Coach of the Year.
NFL Odds: Chicago Bears Over 7.5 Wins
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