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Chicago Bears: 3 Stats They Must Improve In 2016

By Erik Lambert

Dec 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) makes a catch against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) makes a catch against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears defensive back Adrian Amos (38) at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears defensive back Adrian Amos (38) at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Defense:  3rd Down Efficiency

Strangely the Bears defense was among the best in the NFL last season at getting teams to go three-and-out (7th) but that covered up one of its most glaring problems. The longer a drive went on, the more difficult it became for them to get off the field. A key reason for that was being unable to shut the door on 3rd down. Opponents managed to convert 44.6% of their 3rd down opportunity against the Bears, ranking them a dismal 29th in the league.

This is a big reason why they were unable to protect so many leads during the year. Of the 980 snaps the defense logged last season, 494 of them were played when the Bears were leading in the score. So that means they led games 50.4% of the time. Yet they finished with a 6-10 record. That speaks to a team that didn’t know how to close games out, or in this case close drives out. It’s a big reason they spend so much money and draft picks trying to improve its speed and athleticism.

Next: Special Teams

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