Key Additions: ILB Danny Trevathan, ILB Jerrell Freeman, OT Bobby Massie, QB Brian Hoyer
Key Subtractions: RB Matt Forte, TE Martellus Bennett, S Antrel Rolle
Strengths
Chicago still possesses a viable receiving corps for quarterback Jay Cutler to work with.
Alshon Jeffery, who led all Bears receivers last season with 807 receiving yards in spite of playing just nine games, will post Pro Bowl-worthy numbers for as long as he stays healthy. He’ll hopefully be joined by last year’s first-round pick Kevin White, who missed his entire rookie year with a broken leg.
Cutler found a new favorite target last year in tight end Zach Miller, who caught the most receiving touchdowns for the team (five). That would explain why Chicago was quick to let its former starting tight end in Martellus Bennett walk in the offseason.
The Bears defense also appears to have beefed up its front seven with the huge additions of inside linebackers Danny Trevathan from Denver and the Colts’ Jerrell Freeman. That should give standout outside linebacker Lamarr Houston (eight sacks last season) more freedom to get to the opposing quarterback.
Weaknesses
Well, the team’s offensive line is still a huge problem. With long-time Chicago workhorse of a running back Matt Forte now in New York, his successor in Jeremy Langford has some huge shoes to fill. Based on Langford’s dismal 3.7 yards per carry last season, he clearly did not get a lot of help from said O-line, and the Bears did little in the offseason to address this issue.
And while Chicago’s run defense appears to have been upgraded, the team’s secondary saw little change for the better. The Bears nabbed only eight interceptions last season – just two picks more than the team with the least amount of interceptions last season (Baltimore).
Key Player – Jay Cutler
Much like every year since he joined the team in 2009, the fate of the Bears lies with the polarizing play of Jay Cutler. Thankfully, the former first-round pick out of Vanderbilt has now had two-straight rather fantastic seasons. Last year, Cutler posted a career-best QB rating of 92.3, and he also threw for over 3,500 passing yards for the second-straight year.
However, offensive coordinator Adam Gase is no longer with this Chicago squad, which may have Cutler revert back to his old, frustrating self. That would be a shame given the wealth of talented receivers he has at his disposal now.
Key Game – at Green Bay (October 21)
The Bears won’t face an division rival until Week 7 of the renewed season, but that first encounter will be a huge one: a trip back to frigid Lambeau Field against the Packers.
Last season, they escaped with a shocking 17-13 victory in Cheesehead Country on Thanksgiving, which was just their second victory at Green Bay for the past eight seasons. Another win in Lambeau this season may mean more than just another quality road victory; it could mark an early changing of the guard within the division, especially with things not looking too optimistic for the Packers this year either.
2015 Team Stats:
Category
Stat (Rank)
Points per game
20.9 (#23)
Passing yards per game
228.9 (#23)
Rushing Yards per game
115.7 (#11)
Scoring Defense
24.8 (#20)
Writer’s Prediction
The Bears, who are currently priced at +900 to win the NFC North, finish third in the division standings.
