Chicago Bears: Are Rebuild Expectations Too High?

One can understand the expectations that the Chicago Bears would look better than the team that finished 2015. Yet for some reason it looks the same, or even worse.

There are some factors at play in why that is. Injuries for one. This 2016 teams has lost more key players in the first three weeks than almost any other team in the NFL. Jay Cutler, Pernell McPhee, Eddie Goldman, Danny Trevathan, Kyle Fuller, Lamarr Houston, and Jeremy Langford are all out. These are starters who were expected to be a central part of the teams’ success. Now they’re not playing and rebuilding teams don’t have the depth to compensate for such losses.

Then there is the coaching issue. Most people have pointed fingers in every direction including at head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Granted, they haven’t made the greatest decisions at times with their roster and in-game moves but it’s clearer than ever that the central source of pain on that Bears staff is offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

The 36-year old has routinely failed to prepare his players each week. They’re making simple mistakes and lack any sort of rhythm. He of course makes it worse with predictable and unimaginative play calling. It’s hard to imagine things getting any better with Cutler out and Alshon Jeffery banged up on top of it. Some feel Loggains may not even last the season at his current rate.

Nobody likes excuses but it’s hard to win with such a list of obvious problems. Even for a veteran coach like John Fox. Then there is the matter of the roster itself. In just two off-seasons GM Ryan Pace has overturned almost every single position to where it’s almost unrecognizable. Once the oldest team in the league, the Bears are the 10th youngest now. While going young can lead to great things, it also comes with growing pains.