When it comes to analysis from national football experts, the Bears haven’t necessarily been on the receiving end of praise over the last few years. From former players criticizing Jay Cutler’s demeanor in the 2011 NFC Championship game, to the 2017 NFL draft, believers in the Monsters of the Midway have been somewhat scarce in the national media.
But one ESPN analyst foresaw big things for the Bears and coach Matt Nagy from the start in 2018 and he’s predicting even more success in 2019.
Louis Riddick, a former front office executive and now current NFL analyst for ESPN, has been the conductor for the Bears hype train since the 2018 offseason. He’s consistently praised Nagy’s coaching, the play of the defense, and dubbed Mitchell Trubisky “Maserati Mitch” for his skill set and potential in Nagy’s offense.
This season, Riddick is singing a familiar tune and made a bold prediction following the conclusion of the Bears minicamp practices.
There’s been a lot of chatter surrounding the Bears offense this offseason, with coaches and players alike saying the unit is light years ahead of where they were at any point during the 2018 season. Wide receiver Allen Robinson explained they’re working to become the best offense in the NFL this season while fellow receiver Taylor Gabriel sees a “drastic change from last year” already.
Meanwhile, Riddick’s predictions have come true more often than not.
In 2017, he bought into the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Jared Goff’s success from the beginning of the season and, similarly to the “Maserati Mitch” nickname, dubbed Kansas City Chief quarterback Patrick Mahomes “Ferrari” prior to his breakout campaign last season. He also called the Bears winning the NFC North division within the first month in 2018.
The Bears defense stole the show last season but with all the news coming out of offseason activities regarding the offense’s progress, the unit should improve in Nagy’s second year. It’s also worth noting Riddick doesn’t throw praise around and has proven to be one of the brightest football minds at ESPN.
