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After the double-doink ended Chicago's Super Bowl hopes last season, the team has crashed and burned hard in 2019. The Chicago Bears were popular picks in preseason polls predicting playoff teams. Now, at 3-5 in one of the most competitive divisions in the league, Chicago's playoff hopes are all but dead.
Even if the year hasn't gone the way fans thought and hopes it would, there's still plenty of football left. In Week 10, the Detroit Lions will travel to Soldier Field for the first clash between the division rivals in 2019. Chicago should muster whatever dignity it has left and handily defeat the Lions this week.
4. Chicago's pass defense challenges Stafford
Even with Matthew Stafford performing at a Pro Bowl level, the Lions are 3-4-1. While that's a better record than what the Bears have now, it's unlikely Detroit will sit above Chicago for much longer.
Chicago's defense is allowing 230.1 passing yards per game. However, the team has only allowed eight passing touchdowns and has intercepted five passes. Opposing quarterbacks average an 89.2 passer rating against Chicago, which ranks 11th in the league.
The Bears still have great players in their secondary. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was a solid pick-up for the team this offseason. The team also brought back Prince Amukamara, Kyle Fuller, and Eddie Jackson. While Chicago's secondary isn't performing at the elite level it did last season, it's equipped to handle Stafford and the Lions.
3. Chicago's run defense suffocates Lions
Chicago's run defense gives up 93.5 yards per game, which ranks eighth in the NFL. Opposing teams only rush for 3.7 yards per carry against Chicago, which severely limits offensive game plans.
Even with Akiem Hicks on IR, the Bears have a ton of talent along the defensive line and linebacking corps. Eddie Goldman doesn't get enough credit for what he does at nose tackle. Of course, there's also Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith. Even Leonard Floyd is pacing his best season since his rookie year.
The Lions run for 96 yards per game, which ranks 21st in the league. Detroit has rushed for two touchdowns this season, which is tied for the second-fewest in the NFL. The team also rushes for a measly 3.7 yards per carry, which lines up perfectly with Chicago's defensive numbers. The Lions are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for 25th in yards per carry.
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Even with injuries and not living up to the expectations they set last season, Chicago's defense will make Detroit's offense one-dimensional.
2. Time for Trubisky to prove himself
The Bears passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in favor of Mitchell Trubisky in 2017. The one-year wonder from North Carolina has severely disappointed, but there's still time for the 25-year-old to prove himself.
Trubisky is coming off of his worst performance in 2019. Things can only go up from here. As we'll discuss later, it's not like Trubisky is facing a strong defense this week. Trubisky also has to recognize the situation he's in. If he doesn't start delivering now, his NFL future will be very murky.
How the young quarterback plays moving forward will say a lot about the kind of football player and the kind of person he is.
1. Detroit's defense can't stop anyone
The Lions have one of the worst pass defenses in the league. They give up 288.4 yards to opposing quarterbacks per game, which is the third-most in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks average a 97.5 passer rating against Detroit and rarely face many obstacles.
Detroit's defense has intercepted three passes and created 14 sacks this season, both of which are tied for 27th in the league. The team has also given up 217 points, the eighth-most in the NFL, to opponents this season.
The trend continues with Detroit's run defense. The unit is allowing 135.8 rushing yards per game while giving up 4.7 yards per carry. Both numbers rank 27th in the league. You would think a former defensive coordinator like Matt Patricia would focus on fixing that side of the ball. However, the Lions are easily one of the worst overall defenses in 2019.
