The Chicago Bears were champions in the NFC North in 2018. Rookie head coach Matt Nagy led his team to a 12-4 record and a home playoff game. They fell to the Philadelphia Eagles on a late missed field goal, but spirits should still be high heading into 2019. The Bears were one year early in their development. A trade for Khalil Mack really sparked the Bears and seemed to carry them all season.
With Mack inked long-term and plenty of film on the new look Bears, they will have to find new ways to win ball games. This starts with their stars taking the next step. The NFC North was down last season. The Minnesota Vikings finished second at 8-7-1. No other team in the division was above .500. The Vikings and the Green Bay Packers will be better in 2019.
For the Bears, they will need some of their key players to rise to a level if they want to be taken seriously as Super Bowl contenders.
3. Tarik Cohen
Cohen has the chance to be one of the most exciting players in the league this season. He already began taking the next step last season, but must complete it in this upcoming year. With Jordan Howard now in Philadelphia, the Bears will lean on Cohen a bit more.
He has never carried the ball 100 times in a season over his first two. Last season, he came close with 99 carries for 444 yards and three touchdowns. Cohen is an electrifying receiver out of the backfield. He caught 71 passes for 725 yards and five touchdowns in 2018. He averaged 10.2 yards per reception and had nine catches of 20 yards or more. Cohen's work as a receiver cannot be doubted. It is his work in the run game that is in question.
At 5-foot-6 and 181 pounds, Cohen is much smaller than the average running back. That has not stopped his journey to the NFL out of North Carolina A&T. For Cohen, he will need to become more reliable carrying the ball this season.
2. Roquan Smith
Smith was taken eighth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was the last rookie to sign a contract out of a first rounder. For the second year linebacker, this is the year he can be an X-Factor in Chicago. He got his feet wet during his rookie season, and it was a good one. Smith finished with 122 total tackles and five sacks last season.
Coming out of Georgia, Smith was one of the best defensive players in the country. He fell to eight in the draft, which might have been low. The Bears have a strong defense at all levels. Mack is the clear-cut leader, however, Smith can become a leader quickly. Also, there is no one better to learn from than one of the best players in the league.
If Smith regresses, the Bears defense will not be as strong. He has a chance to take a big step forward in his sophomore campaign.
1. Mitch Trubisky
Trubisky is currently the most bet on player to win the NFL MVP award. This does not make him the favorite. It just means that his odds are the most attractive. In 2018, Trubisky threw for 3,223 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He got it done using his legs as well. The second-year quarterback ran for 421 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears traded up to No. 2 in the 2017 NFL Draft to take Trubisky, and this is the year they can begin to see a return on their investment.
Quarterback is the most important position on a football field. Trubisky showed the ability to be a leader last season. He is extremely mobile and can escape the pocket and extend plays with his legs. The Bears have done a nice job of surrounding Trubisky with strong skill position players like Cohen and Allen Robinson. A 12-4 record is nothing to be ashamed of. Trubisky even got his team in position to kick a game winning field goal in the final seconds of the NFC Wild Card round. For Chicago, they want more.
If the Bears want to take the next step and become Super Bowl contenders, it is clearly Trubisky who will have to lead them there. With a defense like they have, the Bears can quickly become favorites if they get next level play from their quarterback.
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