With the holidays upon it, the NFL’s regular season is about to wrap up as 12 teams prepare for the postseason. The Chicago Bears are not one of those teams.
After a disappointing 2019 season, one that was once ripe with expectations, they’ll be headed into an early hibernation with many questions to be answered.
So in the holiday spirit, here are six things we’re asking Santa for the Bears as they head into 2020:
1. Efficient offensive play calling
The responsibility of the offense starts with head coach/play caller Matt Nagy, who wasn’t able to take his offense to the next step in the second year of his offense. While a large part of the offense’s struggles were execution, it trickled down to the play caller who didn’t seem to put them in a position to execute.
Whether Nagy has to step down as offensive play caller or he takes this offseason to do some self reflecting about his role in the offense’s woes, the Bears need a competent play caller to make this offense run in 2020.
2. A definitive answer at quarterback
In terms of responsibility for the offense’s struggles, Matt Nagy’s play calling was No. 1, but quarterback Mitchell Trubisky comes in at No. 2. While the Bears have certainly not made things easier for Trubisky — from play calling to offensive line struggles to no run game to a lack of weapons outside of Allen Robinson — he hasn’t shown that he has what it takes to be the quarterback of the future, on a consistent level.
Whatever the Bears need to do to push him this offseason — including signing a veteran that can compete with him and even drafting a quarterback — they need to do. Because while the Bears would be silly to give up on Trubisky after three years, they need to decide if he’s the guy or if it’s time to go in another direction.
3. Effective run game
For a team that used to get off the bus running, the lack of a run game in Matt Nagy’s offense doomed this unit from the start — even dating back to last season. Nagy’s aversion to running the football hurt his offense’s ability to find a rhythm this year, and David Montgomery never stood a chance.
There needs to be better play from the entire offensive line group as a hole, which also includes pass protection. Cody Whitehair, Bobby Massie and Charles Leno Jr. were all paid big money — and James Daniels drafted in the second round — to be an effective unit, and they simply weren’t in 2019. With Kyle Long’s career likely over in Chicago, they’re going to need to shore up the right side of the line, be it rookie Alex Bars or someone they decide to draft.
4. Stability at tight end
The offense’s struggles can be traced back to the lack of production from the tight end position, which is troubling considering Matt Nagy’s offense requires it. No matter how you look at it, the Bears’ tight ends have been an utter disaster this season. Trey Burton, who never got over his groin injury. Adam Shaheen, who couldn’t take the next step. Those are the guys who were supposed to be a large factor in this offense. Instead, they flamed out — and eventually wound up on injured reserve.
As the Bears head into 2020, they need to make some tough decisions about their tight ends. They need to address it, be it in free agency or the draft. They need to continue to groom some of the young guys, like J.P. Holtz and Jesper Horsted. Because this offense can’t go another season without adequate play from its tight ends.
5. More turnovers for defense
The defense was far from the issue with the Bears this season. They’re allowing the fifth fewest points in the NFL, and they’re doing it without some key starters, including defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and linebackers Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith. Even as they adjusted to new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, this unit did enough to make the playoffs in 2019, but suffered at the hands of their inept offense.
But the one area that suffered a significant drop-off this season was takeaways. After registering 36 takeaways in 2018, the Bears managed just 16 this season. While no one was expecting a repeat of last season’s numbers, the takeaways just weren’t there, and they’re something that have helped this team stay competitive in games.
6. A return to the playoffs
Yeah, this one’s easier said than done, especially considering that the Bears made the playoffs just twice in the last decade. But if this is truly a new era of Bears football with Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy — where they expect to compete for a championship every season — then they certainly have a lot of work to do with this team in the offseason.
While the Bears weren’t going to go 12-4 this year and replicate the impressive 2018 season, this year the playoffs were attainable. The Bears simply failed to execute — mainly on offense — to compete for a playoff berth. The hope is that changes next season — and for that to happen, our previous wishes need to come true.
