The Bears ran via their preseason slate briefly order, knocking off the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ B staff, the Seattle Seahawks, and Cleveland Browns en path to a 3-0 document.
Now, the video games depend.
The Bears open the common season by welcoming Trey Lance and the San Francisco 49ers to Soldier Discipline on Sunday.
Head coach Matt Eberflus and normal supervisor Ryan Poles spent the offseason stripping the roster down as they embark on what could possibly be a prolonged rebuild. Expectations aren’t excessive for the 2022 Bears, however the schedule is smooth, and the youthful expertise on the roster, led by quarterback Justin Fields, must be cause for pleasure.
With Week 1 arriving, it is time for the age-old custom of creating predictions that look silly by the point the leaves change colours. However let’s do it in any case.
Listed below are 5 can’t-miss predictions for the Bears’ 2022 season:
Bears get out of the gates quick
Opening the season with the 49ers and Inexperienced Bay Packers is a tricky job for Eberflus. The Bears do get the 49ers at the absolute best time, with Lance nonetheless getting his toes moist in Kyle Shanahan’s offense and the inside offensive line nonetheless attempting to gel.
Nonetheless, the 49ers have an excessive amount of expertise for the Bears to beat. A Week 2 journey to Inexperienced Bay sees the Bears drop to 0-2, however not with out indicators of hope.
Then, the smooth schedule hits.
The Bears win 4 of their subsequent six, beating the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots. A Week 8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys sees them fall to 4-4, however it’s a optimistic begin to the Eberflus period.
Winter comes and crushes the Bears’ playoff goals
A 4-4 begin to the season is sufficient to maintain the Bears within the playoff hunt, particularly within the down NFC.
However the losses begin coming because the Bears go 1-3 in November, and the December schedule sees the Packers, Eagles, Payments, and Vikings finish any probability of a postseason look. Solely a New 12 months’s Day win in opposition to the Lions helps the Bears salvage winter and end the season at 6-11.
Robert Quinn’s encore
After a historic 18.5-sack season and with the Bears beginning a rebuild, standard knowledge instructed star defensive finish Robert Quinn could be shipped out.
However that wasn’t the case.
Normal supervisor Ryan Poles elected to maintain Quinn, believing his worth to a younger Bears staff is way larger than a possible commerce return.
“I am an enormous fan of Robert Quinn,” Poles mentioned. “He is been productive. The one factor, and it is not saying that Khalil wasn’t, however for Robert, he brings a type of examples of what Matt desires to see out of his protection in being relentless, excessive motor. That is that man. One other chief within the room that may present the younger guys the best way. And he is been doing a extremely nice job at that.”
With Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams preferring to not blitz quite a bit, the Bears want Quinn to get after the quarterback as a lot as doable this season.
Whereas he will not match the mark he set final season, Quinn proves he is nonetheless top-of-the-line pass-rushers within the NFL and follows up his 18.5-sack marketing campaign with 14 extra this fall.
Rookie {hardware}
Bears rookies Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker have mentioned their targets for his or her first NFL seasons. All-rookie groups, Defensive Rookie of the 12 months, and so forth.
Gordon’s motion and protection skills are particular. However the Bears will throw the Washington product into the fireplace instantly, probably asking him to man the nickel in Eberflus’ protection. Rookie cornerbacks usually face an adjustment interval going from school to the NFL. Given the chunk of time he missed in coaching camp, it is honest to count on Gordon’s rookie season might have some early bumps.
That is simply life within the NFL.
Brisker ought to have a better time adjusting to the NFL. The Bears plan to ask the Penn State product to primarily deal with the field security duties whereas veteran Eddie Jackson roams the again finish.
In his one preseason recreation, Brisker confirmed why the Bears are so excessive on him. He is a hard-hitting, high-IQ security who’s at all times across the ball. For a training employees that’s fanatical about takeaways, Brisker can rack up the turnovers at a excessive clip if the ball bounces his means.
The final security to win AP Defensive Rookie of the 12 months was Mark Provider, for the Bears, in 1990.
Brisker snaps the streak and takes dwelling {hardware} by notching 10 takeaways and ending with 124 mixed tackles in a powerful rookie marketing campaign.
Justin Fields, Professional Bowler
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has constructed his scheme round what Fields is as a quarterback coming into 12 months 2 – an elite athlete who likes to assault downfield along with his large arm.
The Bears’ preseason finale in Cleveland confirmed us how Getsy’s wide-zone scheme and Fields’ skillset is perhaps the right marriage.
Whilst you do not need to overvalue the preseason, I feel Fields is primed for a breakout season regardless of the shortage of weapons and shaky offensive line.
Getsy’s scheme is the primary cause.
The Shanahan system has permeated all through the NFL as a result of it makes life simpler on quarterbacks, scheming simple throws over the center of the sector with the potential for vital run-after-the-catch good points.
With a scheme that works to his strengths and the arrogance of being the unquestioned starter, Fields can explode onto the scene and seize a Professional Bowl spot within the NFC.
After Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford, the NFC is kind of a quarterback desert full of unproven younger skills like Trey Lance and Jalen Hurts and good-but-not-elite veterans like Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott.
Whether or not or not Fields makes it on the primary poll or will get shuffled in after an opt-out, the Bears’ second-year quarterback can be on the Professional Bowl after what I imagine can be a giant season.
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