By Daniel Hasko
2015 saw the Chicago Bears suffer through a long 16 games of football that resulted in a 6-10 finish and sole ownership of last place in the NFC North division. With that said, Bear fans might have to (once again) make a focused effort to generate excitement for their squad in 2016. Starting with the offensive side of the ball, the offense is NOT terrible. However, this could be a classic case of “one step forward, two steps back” for the offense that is under new leadership in their offensive coordinator – former quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains. At 35, Loggains could be the youthful, fiery punch that the offense needs but, it is safe to say that he is already on the hot seat entering week 1. The pressure is on with the mounting expectations coming from Chicago football fans. In addition, the Bears lose two of their most dangerous offensive weapons from the 2015 campaign in running back Matt Forte and tight-end Martellus Bennett. Moving to the quarterback predicament, the Bears will once again roll the dice on perhaps the most consistently inconsistent quarterback in the National Football League – Jay Cutler. Many simply can’t believe that Cutler is back for yet another (his eighth) season with the organization. Honestly, many can’t believe he’s an NFL quarterback at all. Yet, optimists claim that, when at his best, he can still chuck the pigskin with the best of them. Better yet, the Bears have what could be one of the best receiving duos in the league with Alshon Jefferey and the return of Kevin White after White missed last season due to injury.
Defensively, the Bears will be dismal at best. Plain and simple, the secondary is horrendous and no changes were made to the struggling group in the offseason. The line doesn’t generate much pressure, and the linebackers are average at best. If there is one bright spot on the defensive side of the ball, it’s Leonard Floyd. Floyd could give a spark to the defense with his speed coming around the outside on a pass rush that compliments his ability to keep up with the leagues quickest tight-ends in coverage.
To sum it up, while the Bears are playing one of the weakest schedules in football in a division that lacks a clear front-runner, they are still clinging to an unsuccessful method for success. Placing too much trust in a quarterback that well…is Jay Cutler. Pair that with the fact that the Bears did next to nothing to upgrade one of the worst defenses in the NFL and it reads as a recipe for disaster. The Bears did however trade in their kicker for a newer model after they released all-time leading scorer Robbie Gould who, quite frankly, hasn’t looked himself as of late. They acquired 30 year-old Connor Barth to give them the best chance at tacking on three points on drives where the Bears can’t punch it in for six. That’s exciting right? At the end of the day, if the offense can put up points, they might just have a shot to shock some people this fall. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a playoff run, but they might be able to grind out eight or nine wins that could serve as a foundation to build on for the years ahead.
