Believe it or not, following a disappointing 8-8 season, there are reasons to be optimistic about the Chicago Bears heading into 2020.
While there were plenty of causes for concern, especially on the offensive side of the ball, remember that the core from the 2018 playoff team remains in tact. There are certainly areas of concern that need to be addressed, but there are reasons to believe that this Bears team can be better in 2020.
The offseason has just begun, and the Bears are expected to make plenty of moves. But if the season were to start today, here are five reasons to be optimistic about the Bears in 2020.
1. Defense remains a top unit
While the 2019 season was considered an overall disappointment, the Bears defense was a top-five unit in the NFL. Chicago allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league at 18.6 points per game. There’s no doubt that the Bears defense regressed in 2019, which was bound to happen considering their production and the lack of injuries the season before.
Chicago’s defense isn’t without its flaws — it needs to force more turnovers and better the pass rush. But with their core players in place, this defense remains one of the best in the league — and if the offense can get going, could be a championship-caliber unit.
2. Receivers have a ton of potential
Chicago used to be where receivers went to die, but that’s not the case anymore. Allen Robinson is coming off a 1,000-yard season — and that was with the offense on life support for the majority of the season. Imagine what Robinson can accomplish with a decent offensive unit.
Aside from Robinson, the Bears have some young talent at receiver. Anthony Miller took awhile to get going, but when he finally did, he flashed amazing potential, including a five-game stretch of 33 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns. Then there are former Bulldogs Javon Wims and Riley Ridley, who look to be more involved in 2020. While Cordarrelle Patterson wasn’t involved much at receiver last season, he remains a weapon the Bears can employ at any moment.
3. Special teams took a step in the right direction
While the Bears special teams weren’t perfect, the unit definitely made strides last season. They were led by kick returner/gunner extraordinaire Cordarrelle Patterson, who was named first-team All-Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl. In his first year in Chicago, Patterson finished second in the NFL with a 29.5-yard average on 28 kickoff returns, one of which was a 102-yard touchdown against the Saints. He also led the league with 825 kick-return yards.
Believe it or not, the Bears even got solid production out of rookie kicker Eddy Pineiro. Pineiro had his share of struggles, mainly in kicking in the cold and windy conditions of Soldier Field, but overall he was solid. Pineiro was 23-of-28 on the season (82.1%) on field goals, and went 27-of-29 on extra points. Punter Pat O’Donnell also had a decent season, averaging 44.8 yards per punt in a season where he punted often.
4. New offensive coaching additions are encouraging
The Bears offense wasn’t good enough last season. Heck, they weren’t even decent. They ranked near the bottom of nearly every statistical category and were the main reason they failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them. Which led to the firings of offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride.
But Matt Nagy’s newest additions to his coaching staff have generated a positive buzz, bringing new voices and years of coaching experience to the table. Offensive coach Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo are tasked with fixing quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who regressed in his third season. Offensive line coach Juan Castillo will tackle fixing the ailing run game, while tight ends coach Clancy Barone has a tough task ahead in fixing the tight end deficiencies.
5. The offense can’t be worse than it was in 2019
If there’s one good thing to come out of the offense’s abysmal performance in 2019, it’s that expectations for the unit are near rock bottom. The Bears offense ranked at or near the bottom of the entire NFL in most statistical categories, including points per game, yards per game and yards per play. Considering how poorly the offense executed, things can’t get much worse moving forward in 2020, especially with the moves expected to be made this offseason.
We’ve already seen some changes on the offensive coaching staff, and general manager Ryan Pace is sure to make some more this offseason. The Bears have needs at quarterback, tight end and offensive line, which they can address through free agency and the NFL Draft and benefit a Bears offense that stumbled through the 2019 season.
