It’s that time of year again. Here are three burning questions for the Chicago Bears.
In Mitch they no longer trust?
After opting for Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft instead of available players such as Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and running back Christian McCaffrey, many fans in Chicago and NFL fans in general were left scratching their heads. Even after inconsistent play, the team stayed committed to Trubisky and his development.
After acquiring Super Bowl-winning quarterback Nick Foles in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team officially opted to decline Trubisky’s fifth-year option, a fate that quite a few of his fellow draft class members (including Leonard Fournette, Solomon Thomas and Corey Davis) also saw come to fruition.
RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Decisions Hurting 2017 Draft Class
Head coach Matt Nagy has said that Trubisky is their starter, but there is no guarantee that will hold true come Week 1.
Will the Bears’ defense dominate their opponents again?
This defense has been one of the most dominant in the league since acquiring Khalil Mack from the Raiders two seasons ago. That hasn’t always translated into wins, due in large part to their rather pedestrian offense. But if they do start the season with Foles under center, the defensive unit will keep the Bears in games.
On the heels of a solid rookie season, linebacker Roquan Smith and former Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan along with Mack may form the best linebacking corps in the league.
Is the current backfield combination enough?
Tarik Cohen and David Montgomery are the running back duo for the Bears. Montgomery fell short of 900 yards rushing in his rookie campaign last year while Cohen battled injuries for most of the season. Similar to the previous two questions, effective play from the quarterback will benefit the running game even more than the defense.
As teams concentrated an overwhelming amount of their defensive game plan around making it so Trubisky had to make good plays, defense would overload against the run.
Montgomery should put up bigger numbers in his sophomore season. Cohen, if he can stay healthy, has proven he can be a successful back in the NFL.
2 Responses
One of the most important factors this season, and one you forgot to mention. Last season’s lack of offense was due, in large part, to the poor offensive line play. Missed blocks, poor execution and injuries all combined for a substandard performance. According to sources, the OL combined for more than 9 missed blocks per game. While your article is spot on, the offense improvement must start with the offensive line.