Chicago Bears: Latest Record Prediction Shows Improvement
By Erik Lambert
The NFL media hasn’t been all over the map when it comes to the Chicago Bears. Some are optimistic. Others expect more losing.
Part of the reason for this is the simple fact the Bears are stuck in a no-mans-land where they’ve been losing for years but had one of the better offseasons (on paper) of any team in the league. Debates rage on whether what they’ve done is enough to finally get over the hump. Clouding the issue is the fact they just hired a new head coach in Matt Nagy. So there’s an element of unknown that makes these debates difficult.
Predictions about where their season will end up has ranged anywhere from a repeat of 5-11 all the way to a 10-6 finish. Either is possible, but which is more likely. Adam Schein of NFL.com was the latest to tackle this question. He examined all the teams that are considered on the bubble for the playoffs this coming 2018 season. The Bears were among the teams he examined. The end result?
Not ideal but certainly a bit more favorable for the future.
Bears predicted to improve their record by two games in 2018
"“2) Chicago BearsCase for: Earlier this offseason, I wrote that Chicago could be the Cinderella team in the NFL. New head coach Matt Nagy will turn Mitchell Trubisky into a real quarterback in short order. I loved the Allen Robinson signing. Jordan Howard doesn’t get enough credit for eclipsing 1,100 yards rushing in each of his first two NFL seasons. Vic Fangio is a fantastic defensive coordinator.Case against: The Bears’ defense is good, but not great. The NFC North is stacked. I believe in Trubisky, but he’s the fourth-best QB in the division heading into the season.Early gut feeling: After posting 19 total wins over the past four years, the Bears are indeed going to surprise some people. But I don’t see a playoff berth. Seven wins — and friskiness on a weekly basis — would equal a step in the right direction.”"
A 7-9 record might seem a bit lukewarm to some, but for Bears fans, it would be like a shining ray of light in the darkness. The team hasn’t won that many games in a season since 2013. This would look like their first indication that the team is truly headed in the right direction. One more strong offseason would be the push required to finally get them back to relevance in the NFC.
Of course, don’t tell this to the Bears players. They seem to have much higher expectations. The goal isn’t just to win more games this season. For them, it’s playoffs or bust. They’ve heard the doubters and are desperate to be the team that finally breaks the losing streak for the city of Chicago. It should be a world of fun watching them try.
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Odds are the early schedule will determine their fate as they face what looks like a winnable slate in the first four games. If they can escape 3-1, the table could be set for them to make an improbable run.