The Chicago Bears approach to the 2018 season is very Rams-like, but can they have the same success? Like the 2017 Rams, the Bears hired a young, offensive-minded coach to mentor a strong-armed second-year quarterback. After four straight double-digit loss seasons, the last three under John Fox, who turned a once rabid fan base apathetic toward the club with his boring style, at least the Bears should be exciting, even if they don’t win a lot of games.
Chicago Bears Futures Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chicago Bears Over 6.5 Wins -134
Chicago Bears Under 6.5 Wins +111
2018 Chicago Bears Offense Preview
The Bears were downright boring last season and the hope is that Matt Nagy can transcend the offense with Mitchell Trubisky running the show. Many wondered why Trubisky was taken with the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, but he’ll get a chance to prove why to his doubters this season. In all fairness to him, he didn’t have a lot to work with last season. So the Bears went out and landed Trubisky some play makers in the passing game, signing free agents Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton, while getting Anthony Miller in the second round.
Let’s not forget about the run game, which had been the team’s bread and butter under Fox. Jordan Howard ran for 1,122 yards last season and his 2,435 yards are the most by a Bears back in his first two seasons, and there have been some good backs over the years. The elusive Tarik Cohen is more of a fit in Nagy’s offense and could be utilized more. The potential for big numbers exists with this group.
2018 Chicago Bears Defense Preview
The lack of wins last season had nothing to do with the defense. In fact it was because of the group that the Bears reached the 5-win mark. The squad ranked ninth in points allowed and 10th in yards allowed per game and could be even better with top pick Roquan Smith anchoring the middle and Leonard Floyd back healthy. With Akiem Hicks and Jonathan Bullard on the ends and Eddie Goldman in the middle, the line is stout.
The strength of the unit is on the next level and getting pressure off the edge is a key. Floyd has the tools to be a disruptive pass rusher and keeping him on the field is vital. He’s missed 10 games the past two seasons and still racked up 11.5 sacks. Smith ended his holdout and will be starting sooner rather than later. Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara will man the corner spots after the Bears dropped plenty of dough to keep them. Creating more turnovers will certainly help in the win/loss column. The Bears have had just eight interceptions in each of the last three seasons with no player having more than two.
2018 Chicago Bears Schedule Analysis
Winning within the NFC North must become a priority and the Bears will get a chance in the opener when they visit the Packers. Chicago has lost nine straight to its division foes and will need a few this year to eclipse the win total. The Bears match-up well against the AFC East and they get Seattle and the Rams from the NFC West at home.
The bye comes in Week 5, which is a bit early, but with games against Arizona and Tampa Bay before that, the Bears could at worst be 2-2. They run through the AFC East immediately after the bye with the Jets and Patriots at Soldier Field. The season ends with four of six on the road, including games at San Francisco and Minnesota to close the schedule.
The Final Verdict
So much of the Bears success revolves around the development of Trubisky. If he is the franchise quarterback the team thinks, and Nagy molds the offense around him, the Bears could have success. There are more weapons in the passing game, the run game is solid, and getting the line to hold up is a must with not much depth up front. Offense and scoring has been the biggest issue the past few seasons, and Nagy is expected to change that.
Drafting Smith was a steal and the kid is going to make Vic Fangio look like a genius. The group has been hampered by injuries the past few seasons and getting a full year from Floyd, Trevathan and Hicks is important. There are no play makers in the secondary and a lack of takeaways has been troubling. Still, the defense is strong and just slight improvement from the offense will make the Bears better than last year’s 5-11 record.
NFL Odds: Chicago Bears Over 6.5 Wins
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