All NFL teams are now on red alert as we are just weeks away from the start of training camp. For all you hardcore fans, we’ve got all the bases covered as we track all the teams’ offseason moves and acquisitions as well as their respective training camps as we slowly build up until the start of the NFL season this September. Read on for everything you need to know about the Chicago Bears and while you’re at it, check out our NFC North previews including those of the Packers and the Vikings.
There is cautious optimism in the Windy City that the Bears can finally put together a solid season that will help them return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Tremendous gains were achieved on the offensive end in 2013 with head coach Marc Trestman running the show but it was their failures on the defensive end that eventually doomed their campaign last year.
With some key acquisitions though via the 2014 NFL free agency frenzy, the Bears are hoping that they can turn it around and mount a serious challenge in the NFC alongside their rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
[sc:”Football Articles” ]Chicago Bears Team Preview for the 2014/2015 NFL Season
Offseason Update (8/7/2014)
The Chicago Bears drafted eight rookies in this year’s NFL Draft and six are expected to make an instant impact for the NFL franchise that has missed the playoffs for the past three seasons. One of those rookies who will play a key part for the Bears this season is rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller who has already shown during training camp the intensity that was severely lacking in the Bears’ defense last season.
[sc:NFL240banner ]How intense? Just ask Martellus Bennett who got into a scuffle with Fuller when the rookie went hard on him while stripping the ball during a drill. Bennett was suspended by the Bears for conduct detrimental to a team after he slammed Fuller to the ground as he reacted to the play. Fuller has also shown his athleticism, intercepting two passes during scrimmages as the Bears defense seems to have found its new star.
Overview
2013 Regular Season Record: 8-8 SU/4-11-1 ATS
The season that started with so much promise once again ended in utter disappointment after the Bears lost their last two games and missed out on the playoffs for the third year in a row, finishing with an 8-8 record.
Although they missed the playoffs the previous season, the Bears were able to post a ten-win season in that campaign and were optimistic that they will go one step further and return to the playoff scene once again.
The Bears started their 2013 season like a house on fire, winning their first three games with Jay Cutler showing the form that made him the 11th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He recorded passer ratings of at least 90 in those three games, the first time he has tallied 90+ passer ratings in three consecutive games since 2009.
Some attributed Cutler’s success to the hiring of new head coach Marc Trestman who brought offensive schemes that were seen as a total departure from the man he replaced in Lovie Smith whose main priority during his tenure with the Bears was organizing the team’s defense.
The strides gained by the Bears’ offense during Trestman’s first year with the Bears were pretty striking. The Bears had the second-best scoring offense in the NFL with 445 points, just trailing the offensive machine that was the Denver Broncos last year. The Bears also had the fifth-best offensive yardage gained during the 2013 season with 4,281 yards as their offense broke team records in total yards (6,109), passing yards (4,450), passing touchdowns (32) and first downs (344).
What proved to be the main reason behind the Bears’ downfall last season was their appalling defense. The Bears defense crumbled during Trestman’s first season where they were the league-worst in opposing rushing yards allowed at 161.4 a game.
With Trestman set to return for his second season however, the Bears are expected to improve further with more attention being afforded this time around to their defensive set-up. They are the second best bet to win the NFC North at +275 while they are at +1,600 to win their first Super Bowl title since 1985.
Offseason Highlights
General Manager Mike Emery and pretty much every Bears fan out there knew that defense was the main culprit behind the Bears’ early elimination last season. It was pretty obvious then that the main priority for Emery during the offseason was addressing the Bears’ inadequacies on the defensive end.
Emery’s main acquisition was former Viking defensive end Jared Allen who signed a lucrative $32 million deal with the Bears. He, alongside Lamarr Houston and Willie Young who were also signed as free agents, will help fortify the defensive line that was severely battered last season.
The Bears also addressed their concerns in their secondary by drafting cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Brock Vereen who will compete with free agent signings Ryan Mundy, M.D. Jennings and the highly-touted safety Adrian Wilson.
The major headline that surrounded the Bears camp however during the offseason was on the offensive side as the Bears decided to go all in with quarterback Jay Cutler and signed him to a huge seven-year deal worth $126 million.
Although there were glimpses of Cutler’s brilliance in his first year under the tutelage of Marc Trestman, he was once again hampered by injuries forcing him to miss five games last season. His fitness will be crucial for him to be able to justify the huge price tag.
Key Betting Matchups of 2014 NFL Season
The Bears posted another 8-8 record last year, the second time it has happened in the past three years. Their win total line this year is a modest over/under 8.5. Two of the games that will whet the appetites of Bears fans as they try to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2010 are:
September 22 – New York Jets
In a Monday night showdown, the Bears travel to New York to face the Jets who are also out for redemption after a surprisingly strong 2013. The Bears have won three of their last four trips to play the Jets, the last being a 10-0 shutout victory in November 2006.
November 9 – @ Green Bay Packers
The last time these two NFC North rivals met at Lambeau Field, the Bears dealt a significant blow to their rivals as Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers went off injured as he suffered a fractured collarbone after being sacked by Shea McClellin. With that storyline in place, the stage is set for one of those great Packers-Bears matchups.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bears will continue to improve under Marc Trestman and will return to winning ways with a 9-7 record and a wild card playoff berth. Create a betting account now and see if you can predict where the Bears or any of the other NFL teams will finish in 2014.
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