If you think the local stance on the quarterback status of bears is extreme, you should see some of the disrespect for the Chicago Bears being gained by the national media.
There is a consensus and most think the bear is going to get worse. Not just like the 8-8 or 7-9 bad, but like picking in the top 8 of the NFL Draft bad.
NFL.com ranks Bear No. 24 in their Week 1 Power Ranking.
The MMQB rankings, which vote for six different NFL writers, include Bear No. 25.
And CBS Sports has Bear No. 26 behind the Cincinnati Bengals. Uch ch.
In fairness, the Bears haven’t done a whole lot on paper to suggest they’ll be significantly better than their 8-8 record last season, but they’ve also done nothing more to suggest they could be significantly worse either.
Related: Adam Hodge Week 1 NFL Power Rankings
You won’t get a Rosie Thrill 13-3 forecast from me this year, but let’s examine some of the reasons to be optimistic about the Bears in 2020:
1. 2020 looks like a 2019 repeat for Matt Nagy.
So the Bears didn’t go out and signed Tom Brady. On paper, the quarterback still looks like a weakness and there are deep questions running behind. The offensive line doesn’t look significantly good and the offense relies on 33-year-old Jimmy Graham to make a difference at the tight end.
There are all these factors in the frustration around the bears, but they ignore the big entry made by the organization into se fission: coaching in 2019 was not good enough. Head coach Matt Nagy, to his credit, is to blame. The new coaches – offensive coordinator Bill Lazore, quarterbacks coach John Defilipo and offensive line coach Juan Cati Steelo – are here to get more out of the bear on that side of the ball. There will be tweaks to the plan, different packages and better play. At least that’s the idea.
You have the right to be skeptical, but most of the predictions out there don’t take coaching upgrades into account.
2. Quarterback room is better.
No, seriously, it is. Nick Falls is an instant upgrade to the 2019 version of Mitch Trubiski, and right now, he’s a backup quarterback. Thus, as a baseline, the Bears should get at least a little better quarterback play in 2020, leading to a more efficient offense.
The best condition is that Trubiski improves. If he doesn’t, Falls will wait and he’s better off than he was when he got out of the bear position last year. Yes, it is a low bar, but it is also a bar that should be easily crossed in 2020.
3. Tight end rooms are better and will make quarterbacks better.
The most notable development in the training camp was the tight end improved game. Graham probably won’t catch the whole season, but he’s sure he feels good right now. And the second round pick call comet is passing the colored eye test with flying colors.
“Comet may be one of the football-l-intelligent rookies we’ve done around. I mean, you just felt it, “said Ryan Pace, the bear’s general manager.
Meanwhile, a surprise observation of the camp was the pass-catching ability of Demetrius Harris, better known for blocking. He has good hands and will be a weapon in the red zone. Eric Sbert Burt was also heavily involved in the deal and is a clear upgrade over Ben Brunecker. JP Holtz is more fullback, but he also has the sneaky ability to catch the ball and get an upfield if the defense ignores it.
And here’s why all this is so important:
1. Strict expiration is close to quarterback and provides quick targets if they are legitimate weapons as read first or second. Last year, Trubiski did not have this safety net.
2. You should see more bi-tight end sets this year, which means opponents use their base defenses more. Not to be outdone, not only for the tough end, but also for Tariq Cohen, whose struggles in 2019 could oppose a defensive defense on him rather than a dynamic tight end. According to Football Football outsiders, the Bears used “12” employees (one back, two tight ends) only nine percent of the time in the year 1 12 2019. The use of 2+ TE / 6 + OL compositions is ranked 31stStd In the league. That number will definitely increase in 2020.
More. Tighter end means less wide receivers. Len Lon Robinson is not widely respected enough as the No. 1, but it can easily be argued that the Bear is not the true No. 2 wide receiver. Maybe Anthony Miller will evolve into one, but in the meantime, the Bears won’t be forced to use as many “11” employees (one back, one tight end). According to Football.l Outsiders, the Bears used 3+ WR 72 percent of the time last season, ranking 8th in the league.
It’s. The Bears are more likely to make playoffs than one of the league’s worst teams.
Despite all the reasons for the outrageous optimism I just listed, it makes perfect sense for the skeptic. In fact, I’m skeptical. Even if the bear improves aggressively, he will be lucky between the packs on that side of the ball. I’m also thinking the defense will look like a 2019 unit that was much better than the 2018 unit that was the best in the NFL. Still, that could be a good enough formula to win the NFC North and make the playoffs. It’s not a formula that picks the Bears the top five drafts.
Let’s go back to the outsiders for a minute. They have an average of 7.8 wins for the Bears, which is not great, but ranks 19th in the league. The Lions are at 8.0, the Packers at 7.8 and the Vikings at 7.6. It’s a huge open piece. The Football Football Outsiders give the Bears a 38 percent chance of finishing with an 8-10 win and a 35 percent chance of finishing with a 5-7 win. At the more extreme end, there is a better chance that the Bears will have four or fewer wins (11 percent) than they have at least 11 wins (16 percent).
I realize this isn’t quite an inspiring argument, but it’s further proof that the league’s worst teams don’t have a bearish bear. They are more in the average team with a side lot to make the playoffs.
Now, let’s move on to some of the keys to creating a real playoff push for the Bears …
Ak. There will be a difference between Akim Hicks and Bilal Nichols defensive dominance and just another good unit.
The ball has plenty of talent on that side, but 2019 showed everyone how important Akim Hicks is to defense. When he was not healthy, the whole unit suffered. The groin injury he suffered in the training camp is relevant and it is only fair to point out that Huxx is now 30 years old. Decline on offensive and defensive lines happens quickly and there are reasons to have only one year of non-guaranteed money left. Make a deal after 2020. I still believe the healthy Akim Hicks is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but I also doubt he will be available for all 16 games this season.
That’s where Bilal Nichols comes in. From my point of view, it felt great in the training camp. He’s already left Eddie Goldman behind out of season, but Nichols ’long-term development is a big story for the Bears. The former fifth-round pick has a chance to be more than a good rotational player and will emerge this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nichols knocks on the door of a long-term extension this time next year and the Bears will be very welcoming.
6. It’s time for Roquan Smith to arrive.
Expectations for the former No. 8 overall pick should not be adjusted. Smith was one of the safest picks in the 2018 NFL Draft and recorded a sack in his first snap in the NFL. Last year, he came out of the door flying with two tackles on the line of Schmidt on the first two plays of the season. Between those moments, there has been a lot of inconsistency.
Smith still has the potential to be a great bear linebacker, but now he needs to come. He seemed more focused and committed to training camp, which could lead to a bigger season. Smith has all-pro talent, but he needs to play like a person flying in football to every snap.
7. Don’t jump off the Anthony Miller train yet.
Trust me, I was coming. He was a ghost during the first week of training camp, but when the camp was over I saw my notes and Miller took all the bears into the catch (Ellen Robinson was considering a leg injury).
“He started a little slow, started a training camp,” Nagy admitted. “(But) he would have had the best training camp for a lot of the players on this team.”
So why the sudden change?
“I think I’m just more into the crime we’re committing,” Miller said Tuesday. “I know every detail of what each person has on each play. And he’s just playing a big part in what I can do in every play. You never know where I’ll be on the field on Sunday. I was now able to play many roles in crime. This is the meaning of freedom. Just being more than what is going on has opened so many doors for me in crime. “
The Bears have consistently emphasized details with Miller. If he is really starting to catch up and gaining more freedom, it will be a big development for crime. Consider me suspicious until we see him on the field of play.
8. The bear appears to be riding on a cornbuck with a recruit, Jelon Johnson.
When a reporter was asked on Tuesday if he was told he would start against the Lions, Jones said: “Okay.”
I pegged Johnson as a plug-and-play starter in Draft Night. He was selected in the second round by the Bears, but that was partly due to the lumbar surgery that was required after the NFL combine. That surgery limited him to the start of training camp, which raised some doubts about his preparation for Week 1, but the Bears have thought about Johnson’s study habits and knowledge of the game.
It’s certainly possible Johnson will still be somewhat limited and won’t play the whole game, but it looks like he’s an undisputed starter. He is different from Lions rookie Cornback K Jeff Okudah, who is ranked No. 3 overall. The consensus in Detroit looks like Okudah will come off the bench and rarely play against the Bears.
Johnson was ranked 50th overall. It will be interesting to see the use and display of those two colored corners on Sunday.
9. Don’t forget about Rookie Wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
I would be shocked if not taken in the fifth round from Tulane on Sunday. That’s all.
10. The final word
It’s not a weird se phison and even more weird prisons without games. Everyone makes assumptions to some extent – including coaches and staff members. Paes admitted that when teams stream their practice online, they were watching. Of course they were.
It all ends in regular season games with either fans or very few fans. I don’t know what it will look like or sound like, but I’m very happy with the games. 2020 marks my 10M The season covering the Chicago Bears and my first with NBC Sports Chicago. That would be no doubt. That doesn’t mean it won’t be fun. Hopefully football can provide a little generality in a completely unusual year. I look forward to chatting with you along the way.
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