Chicago Bears 2015 Season Preview

Chicago Bears

2014 record: 5-11

2015 O/U 7

Take everything you remember about the Chicago Bears of the past and throw it out the window. The grumpy QB remains, but the coaching staff, as well as the teams’ former locker room leaders are all gone. John Fox comes in as the new head coach, in his third stop in eleven years. Fox brings with him the OC he groomed in Denver, Adam Gase along with the DC of the 49ers Vic Fangio. The majority of these coaches’ philosophies buck the trend of where former coach Marc Trestman envisioned taking this team. This obviously creates a wide variety of volatility, and the roster may look completely different this time next year. The big changes already began and it started with team leader Lance Briggs not being resigned. The leader of the offense was Brandon Marshall, and Fox went as far as trading him away from the team to start the rebuild. Roberto Garza is another leader who cannot be missed, as he has been a full time starting center since 2006. He did miss four games in 2014, but you can point to a lot of the Bears’ flaws on the jumbled offensive line last year. Charles Tillman is another famous Bear of the past to move on, but he is closer to Briggs in which he was a mental leader and not a physical star any more. These are still pieces you once associated as the Bears core, and now they are no more. Players were brought in to deal with the scheme shifts and the biggest names are on defense. The Bears are shifting to a 3-4 defense, and the signing of Pernell McPhee, Sam Acho, and Mason Foster are the signs that can point to that change. All are linebackers in a 3-4 and fit best in that system. Jarvis Jenkins was also signed, and while he has played in multiple schemes, he will have every chance to start at defensive end. Antrell Rolle, Will Montgomery, Vlad Ducasse, Eddie Royal and Alan Ball are all guys going to get a shot to start in the new schemes. Overall this is a clear year to learn what the Chicago Bears are going to be. There was a lot of movement, not just in the roster, but also in the personality of the locker room and this will be worth monitoring with such a variety of outcomes.

Offensive Strengths

Last year the team’s leader in rushing yards, as well as receptions was Matt Forte. Forte is as scary a receiving back as you can find in the NFL and his ability to break open plays in space in uncanny. What I find interesting, is that Fox, as well as Gase have seemingly searched their whole careers for a stable running back situation. My question becomes do they trust that Forte is the every down guy, or is it the system and the philosophy that preaches multiple running backs running the ball. Jacquizz Rodgers was signed, and Jeremy Langford was drafted this year to be the depth behind Forte, and while there may be some carries for them, anything less than the lion’s share is hindering what Forte can do for you. He is the clear talent here and his short passing game and rushing skills should open up plays deep. The deep threat remains Alshon Jeffrey, and he made kicking Brandon Marshall out so much easier. Jeffrey saw his touchdowns improve from four and then three in consecutive seasons from his rookie year. He is 6’4” has freakish ability, and is now the clear-cut top dog of the passing game. In to replace some of Marshalls’ production is Eddie Royal. In Royals’ rookie season, he played with Jay Cutler and produced career highs in targets, catches and yards. That season Cutler also threw for the most yards in his career, and posted his 2nd lowest INT rate over his career. It didn’t lead to direct success, as the Broncos went 8-8, but with Marshall leaving a strong connection with Cutler, it is interesting to see them add Royal to see if there is still magic from 2008. Martellus Bennett has been an excellent signing for Chicago since 2013, and he is not only a red zone threat, but also a plus blocker and an assistant in the run game. All around, even without Marshall this team has the playmakers capable to put up points, now it just comes down to what Cutler are we getting?

Offensive Weakness

Trestman was given the name “QB guru” before coaching the Bears and all signs indicated that he was going to be the one to settle Cutler down, and turn all his raw ability into elite QB play. He even had Josh McCown, who has a carrer 61:59 INT ratio, and had him go on a seven game binge of five starts and 13 touchdowns to one interception. Bascially McCown was absolutely awful outside of Trestmans scheme. Jay Cutler was even able to post career highs in touchdowns, and completion percentage but absolutely nobody cares about that. They don’t care because Cutler has ruined the reputation of Trestman and basically quit on his team in 2014. The Bears were in the top ten in sacks, and sixth in the league in false starts. That is inexcusable, but to see Cutler react every time in way that says, “how can I play with these idiots” isn’t going to win the team over. The line stopped caring about Cutler, and Cutler stopped caring in general. Smoke causes fire, and fire causes flame and this thing took down an entire organization, as I mentioned with the rebuild. This is not all on Cutler. This offensive line is ugly, and this year shouldn’t be much better. They added a few low name guys, but the tackle position is a revolving door, and Cutler may be on his rear as much as last year. If he cannot mentally accept the fallings, he will never be here for the rise. I personally doubt he is here for the rise, but it should be watched, because when he is on Cutler is an above average quarter back.

Defensive Strength

Vic Fangio is a guy who really has a reputation right now. He, along with Jim Harabaugh, rebuilt the 49ers and his defense was the better of the two units. Fangio preaches the 3-4 and the hunt was on to find fits for it. Having four linebackers versus four linemen on the field in the big difference and the linebackers he added to do fit the scheme. McPhee couldn’t see significant snaps playing behind Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, but now is his chance to shine and the defense is set up perfectly for him to be the top line backer. Acho doesn’t have the tape that McPhee does but he does fit the scheme and should see time in a rotational role. These two will have to do some work in coverage, however, because Jarad Allen and Lamarr Houston are pure pass rushers on the opposite side. The two were the former starting defensive ends in the 4-3 and they move a bit more outside, but the goal of getting to the passer should remain the same. Allen is now 33, and Houston is coming off of season ending surgery, so they should both be in this rotation eased into snaps. They also have a strong rotation of middle linebackers with Foster being added. Jon Bostic and Christain Jones both started last year and should both see time in the middle, as well as Shea McClellan, who is a pure run stuffer. Overall they have eight guys worthy of playing time in the core and it makes it the clear strength. While some players need to adjust, it should take the least time to rebuild this unit.

Defensive Weakness

You can even include the linebacker core due to guys like Allen, Hosuton, Bostic, McClellan and Jones now learning an entirely new scheme. There is just no way to turnover a roster built for 4-3 into a 3-4-roster overnight. They all find themselves in new roles, and I would hope Fangio knows that Allen and Houston are going to give you nothing as linebackers in coverage. It leaves the defense short handed when some players can only do so many things in the scheme. This doesn’t mention that this line wasn’t built to succeed in a 4-3 and now features guys who are career 3-4 names in a new scheme. Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton were drafted in 2014 to run that 4-3 and now in year two it is all new. Jay Ratliff was a career 4-3 DT, and now the team expects him to play some nose. I would expect multiple looks, and expect Allen and Hosuton to often have a hand down, but will anyone in the rotation be on the team next year on this line? Jarvis Jenkins was brought in to fit the scheme and Eddie Goldman is the nose of the future so now you have a group of players who either have to change or get lost. Kyle Fuller had a strong rookie season, and now heads into year two where he has to carry a crew. Rolle was added but at age 32, he isn’t a difference maker, and the depth throughout the team is short. They ranked 29th against the pass in 2014, and with even more confusion and less help up front it could even get worse this year.

Where do they rank? O/U 7

Las Vegas seemed to think that the Bears actually got better this year. For one time I have to disagree and I think that the coaching changes may eventually be an upgrade, but they will have to make severe roster changes before it is one that gels with the staff. The Bears are in what I would call a rebuild, and I don’t think Cutler will like the idea. I could see the wheels falling off and this team becoming a dumpster fire before I could see success in Chicago. I think that this team is the clear-cut bottom of the division and would really be looking under here. I don’t think it will take much to kill the mojo of this team, and that makes the under an extremely likely event.

Parkers Picks: 4th in the NFC North, Under 7 wins

Logans Pick: 4th in the NFC North, no play.