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The Chicago Bears have gone from Super Bowl contenders to fringe playoff contender in less than a year. It's funny how that works sometimes, especially in the NFL.
Going into 2019, I had the Bears pegged as my Super Bowl representative from the NFC. I loved their defense, and I thought (key word: thought) their offense was improving.
Needless to say, I was wrong.
Chicago went just 8-8 and missed the playoffs entirely, as its defense took a step back and its offense stunk up the joint. Have things changed heading into 2020?
Here are the three biggest questions for the Bears with next season on the horizon:
3. Can the defense get back to 2018 dominance?
This isn't to say that Chicago's defense was bad this past year, because it certainly wasn't. After all, it ranked eighth in the NFL in total defense and fourth in points allowed.
However, the D clearly was not as dominant as its 2018 self.
Of course, this could have had something to do with the offense being so pitiful that the defense just got gassed, both physically and mentally. Whatever the reason was, it was clear that the Bears' defense was not as stingy in 2019.
Chicago's defense hasn't changed much in terms of personnel. Leonard Floyd and HaHa Clinton-Dix are gone, and the Bears did pick up pass rusher Robert Quinn, who racked up 11.5 sacks with the Dallas Cowboys this past season.
The big boys such as Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith and Eddie Jackson are still around, so I see no reason why Chicago's defense shouldn't be top 10 yet again.
Whether or not the defense regains its form from two years ago is the question.
2. Do the Bears have a featured running back?
I actually like what I thought was going to be a three-pronged rushing attack between Tarik Cohen, Mike Davis and David Montgomery for the Bears going into 2019.
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Instead, Davis barely touched the football before being cut, Cohen was a relative non-factor and Montgomery was just so-so in his rookie year.
Montgomery figures to be the No. 1 back in 2020, but based on his mediocre production this past year (889 yards while averaging 3.7 yards per carry), I'm not so sure that's something to hang your hat on.
Obviously, Montgomery is still very young, so he could certainly improve, but it's also not like he's running behind a great offensive line.
And as for Cohen? This dude was such a Swiss army knife in 2018 that he made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection. He wasn't close to that level in 2019. The Bears urgently need him to rediscover his former glory.
1. Who will be the starting quarterback?
By now, the cat is out of the bag: Mitchell Trubisky hasn't been very good.
The former No. 2 overall pick actually regressed in 2019, so much so that Chicago actually went out and swung a trade for Nick Foles earlier this offseason.
While Trubisky probably has the inside track to the job (especially because there haven't been any organized team activities), his standing is hardly safe, and his leash will be very short.
The Bears don't exactly have a ton of weapons on offense as it is, so they must get at least adequate production from the quarterback position to have any chance of competing for a playoff spot in 2020.
It remains to be seen who actually gets the opportunity to lead them.
