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The Chicago Bears are coming off of a 2018 campaign in which they won 12 games and captured the NFC North division title before ultimately losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. But, in spite of the disappointing playoff loss, the Bears are entering the 2019 NFL Season full of hope and are looking to make back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 2006.
Chicago should be one of the better teams in the NFC going into this year, but the Bears do have some question marks that could prevent them from being a true Super Bowl contender.
Nevertheless, here are five bold predictions for Chicago heading into this season:
5. They'll Have a Top-15 Offense
A top-15 offense doesn't sound all that great, but when you remember that this is the Bears we are talking about, you'll realize it isn't too shabby.
Chicago ranked just 21st in the NFL in total offense this past season, but the silver lining was that the Bears made the most of their opportunities, averaging 26.3 points per game to rank ninth in the league.
But there are reasons to believe that Chicago will be better offensively overall in 2019, as it has an improving young quarterback, a solid group of young receivers and a potentially dangerous trio of running backs.
At the very least, the Bears should rank in the top half of the league in total offense, and given how efficient they are at turning yards into points, that could be really bad news for the rest of the NFC.
4. They'll Have a Top-Five Defense Yet Again
Chicago ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed and first in scoring defense in 2018, which was the primary reason why the Bears were able to win 12 games during the regular season.
But Chicago lost defensive coordinator Vic Fangio this offseason, which some feel could have an adverse effect on the defense.
And it could, but there is just so much talent on this side of the ball for the Bears that it is hard to envision them not finishing with a top-five defense for the second straight year.
With Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Eddie Jackson and a host of other ferocious defensive players, Chicago will be able to ride its defense yet again in 2019, even with Chuck Pagano in place of Fangio.
3. Mitchell Trubisky will Take a Leap
Generally, quarterbacks don't improve all that much between Year 1 and Year 2. It's the time between Year 2 and Year 3 that they usually take their leap, which is exactly where Mitchell Trubisky currently finds himself.
And while Trubisky may have been somewhat disappointing in 2018 relative to his 2017 draft position (No. 2 overall), he still showed significant improvement from his rookie year.
It's fair to argue that Trubisky isn't where many expected he would be at this point, but it's also not like he is a terrible quarterback, and now, he has a full year under his belt as the starter.
Look for Trubisky to make a rather significant jump this season, which will be the biggest factor in the Bears suddenly having a decent offense.
I'm not saying he'll throw for 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns, but he'll certainly be better than the modest 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns (along with 12 interceptions) he finished with this past year.
2. They'll Win the NFC North
I understand that the Green Bay Packers are the trendy pick to win the NFC North due to new head coach Matt LaFleur and all of their defensive improvements, and the Minnesota Vikings are no pushovers, either, but the Bears will end up winning this division again.
Chicago simply has too much defensive talent, and it has enough skill offensively to at least be adequate enough in that area to win 11 or 12 games and capture its second straight division crown.
You also have to really appreciate the job Matt Nagy has done thus far, as he took a Bears team that looked dead in the water and instantly led them to success in his first season at the helm.
The Packers and Vikings simply have too many question marks for me to put either of those two clubs ahead of Chicago.
1. The Bears will Represent the NFC in the Super Bowl
Not only am I taking the Bears to win their division, but I am also picking them to make it all the way to the Super Bowl.
Do I feel 100 percent confident in the pick? Not at all, but Chicago has been my pick all offseason long, and I'm sticking with it.
The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints are sure going to be tough, and squads like the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys (if Ezekiel Elliott plays) cannot be discounted, but I love the Bears' defense, and I think their offense will be considerably better.
Again, it will be a difficult road, as Chicago's own division is a minefield, but there is enough talent here for the Bears to make a serious run.
