Following four consecutive losing seasons, which included four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North, the 2018 Chicago Bears weren’t expected to do much.
And yet, they defied those expectations en route to a 12-4 record and a division title.
Gone are the days of setting up camp in the NFC North basement, and now are the days of establishing themselves as a force in the NFL.
For Bears coach Matt Nagy, last season isn’t enough. He recognizes that in order to get his team to the top of the mountain that is a Super Bowl title, he needs to remind them of the task at hand.
While the Bears were winners last season, they haven’t accomplished anything yet in a 2019 season that’s yet to be written.
“For our culture, our organization, we got off on the right foot, right?” Nagy told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “So we ended up 12-4, lost in the playoffs and now the big thing is let’s not get complacent. Just because we had a good year last year, that’s not here any more. We’ve got to start 0-0. But when you have good people like we do on our team — good human beings — it helps.”
With success comes expectations, which is something that Nagy understands. While the Bears were able to surprise many last season, Nagy warned his players that they’re now the hunted. The team that others are aiming to usurp.
But it’s a pressure that the Bears welcome.
“There’s definitely pressure and expectations now, but we wouldn’t want it any other way,” Nagy said.
The only thing more difficult than achieving success is maintaining that success, which is something the Bears will look to do in 2019.
