From now until the start of the NFL season, I will be releasing a weekly article called State Of The League. It will cover each of the 32 NFL teams, including their 2023 season, offseason acquisitions, and what to expect from them in 2024 (think best/worst-case scenarios). Enjoy! Up first are the Chicago Bears.
Ah, Chicago. You can smell it in the air. A new era of Chicago Bears football has begun.
It’s been years since we’ve seen a major sports team lift up a championship for the city. The last time was in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs broke the curse and won their first championship since 1908. If you want to count the WNBA, the Chicago Sky did win a championship in 2021, beating the Phoenix Mercury 3-1 in that series.
But, it’s been nearly 40 years since the Chicago Bears tasted a Super Bowl win. Their last appearance in 2006 saw them fall to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 29-17.
Now, they look to return to the postseason for the first time since 2018 (the double-doink year). With turnover at the quarterback position along with the offense as a whole, it’s safe to say the Bears aren’t messing around anymore. No longer do they want to be known as the easy opponent on the schedule. They’re a hungry pack, ready to shock the league and the world.
I’m not saying they’ll contend for a Super Bowl this year. That would be crazy. But, a playoff spot isn’t as crazy as you think.
2023 Season
- Head Coach: Matt Eberflus (second season)
- Record: 7-10
- Offense: 21.2 PPG (18/32)
- Defense: 22.3 PPGA (20/32)
- Leading Passer: QB Justin Fields (5-8 record as starter, 2,562 yards passing, 16 TD, 9 INT on 61.4% passes completed)
- Leading Rusher: QB Justin Fields (124 carries, 657 yards, four touchdowns)
- Leading Receiver: WR D.J. Moore (96 catches, 1364 yards, eight touchdowns)
- Leading Tackler: LB T.J. Edwards (155 total tackles)
- Sacks: EDGE Montez Sweat (6.0 sacks, acquired from SF before the deadline)
- Interceptions: LB Tremaine Edmunds and DB Tyrique Stevenson (four interceptions)
The Chicago Bears 2023 season was off to a rough start. They lost their first four games, including a shellacking 41-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in week three (the Taylor Swift appearance game).
They finally got in the win column, defeating the Washington Commanders in week five 40-20 (Justin Fields: four touchdowns, 339 total yards). The offense played to their full potential, but things quieted in week six in a loss to the Vikings 19-13.
The bright spot to the season started in week 12. Sitting at 3-8, a playoff spot seemed all but gone for Chicago. But, they pulled off a 12-10 (ugly) upset win over the Minnesota Vikings and defeated the Detroit Lions in week 14 28-13. Those two big wins improved their record to 5-8, and suddenly things looked on the up and up.
Although it didn’t end in a playoff spot. Chicago finished the season 2-2 (including a 37-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons in week 17) to finish the season 7-10.
Offseason Acquisitions and Departures
- Notable Departures: QB Justin Fields (trade), S Eddie Jackson (released), G Cody Whitehair (released)
- Notable Acquisitions: G Ryan Bates (trade), RB D’Andre Swift (three-year deal, $24 million), TE Gerald Everett (two years, $12 million), S Jonathan Owens (two years, $4.5 million), WR Keenan Allen (trade), S Kevin Byard (two years, $15 million)
- Re-Signings: CB Jaylon Johnson (four years, $76 million), WR Dante Pettis (one year, $1.1 million)
Favorite Acquisition: It was easily Keenan Allen. The former Chargers wideout was traded for just a fourth-round pick in this past draft. A six-time Pro Bowler, Allen was coming off the sixth 1,000-yard season of his career, amassing 1,243 on 108 catches and seven touchdowns. Joining Moore at WR, a solid 1-2 duo was formed upon his arrival.
Draft
- R1, P1: QB Caleb Williams, USC
- R1, P9: WR Rome Odunze, Washington
- R3, P11: OT Kiran Amegadije, Yale
- R4, P22: P Tory Taylor, Iowa
- R5, P9: EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas
Favorite Pick: As easy as it would be to say, Williams, I have to go with Odunze. The former Washington Huskie could have been the first wideout off of the board if Marvin Harrison Jr and Malik Nabers did not exist. He was extremely productive in college, leading the nation with 1,640 yards in 2023. A vertical threat at 6’3″, the big target joins Allen and Moore to create a triplet of dangerous weapons for the rookie Williams to throw to.
2024 Regular Season Schedule (O/U: 8.5)
The classics stay crispy ?? pic.twitter.com/THE2n729sZ
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 17, 2024
- Week 1: vs. Titans
- Week 2: @ Texans (SNF)
- Week 3: @ Colts
- Week 4: vs. Rams
- Week 5: vs. Panthers
- Week 6: vs. Jaguars
- Week 7: BYE
- Week 8: @ Commanders
- Week 9: @ Cardinals
- Week 10: vs. Patriots
- Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers
- Week 12: vs. Vikings
- Week 13: @ Lions (Thanksgiving)
- Week 14: @ 49ers
- Week 15: @ Vikings (MNF)
- Week 16: vs. Lions
- Week 17: vs. Seahawks (TNF)
- Week 18: @ Packers
Favorite Game: Week 2 @ Texans. Caleb Williams vs. C.J. Stroud. Two of the youngest and brightest quarterbacks in the league squared off in the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. It can’t get any better than that. Plus, look at each team’s WR core (Houston’s Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins versus Chicago’s Allen, Moore, and Odunze). Fireworks? I’d bet my money on that.
Best Case Scenario For The Chicago Bears
Right off the bat, Caleb Williams impresses with an outstanding performance against a revamped Titans defense (say, 260 yards, three touchdowns with one to each of Allen, Moore, and Odunze). They upset the Texans in week two in front of a national audience, and spoil Houston’s home opener.
Chicago keeps on rolling, heading into week seven’s bye week at 5-1. Coming out of the bye, they beat the Commanders led by second-overall pick Jayden Daniels in a shootout, and win the next two games against Arizona and New England. The rest of the schedule does get a bit tough, but finish the season 10-7, good enough for a wild-card spot.
Caleb Williams easily nabs Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, with Rome Odunze finishing in the top-five of voting with a solid season of his own. Also, RB D’Andre Swift proves the doubters wrong that he was overpaid, rushing for a second-straight 1,000-yard season. Keenan Allen also finishes with another 1,000-yard receiving season, and the same goes for D.J. Moore.
Defensively, the Bears’ secondary causes issues for opposing offenses. Kevin Byard shows why he’s one of the top safeties in the league, nabbing at least four interceptions on the year. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson lock down opposing wideouts with ease, making Chicago’s defense hard to throw against. EDGE Montez Sweat finishes with double-digits in sacks for the first time in his career.
The standard is set
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 6, 2024
Though they exit early from the postseason, Chicago’s first year under the leadership of Caleb Williams gives fans something to look forward to for years to come.
Worst Case Scenario For The Chicago Bears
Williams hits the rookie wall early, despite all of the talented weapons around him. The emotional concerns we saw from him at USC show its colors again at the professional level, which makes fans wonder if the unanimous number one overall pick is worth all of the drama.
The signal-caller struggles to build a rapport with Keenan Allen, causing frustration between the rookie and veteran and leading to Allen wanting out.
D’Andre Swift shows why he was identified as an overpay, struggling to rush for even 600 yards, and makes the Bears front office look foolish for not aiming for a Tony Pollard or a Saquon Barkley.
The team’s offensive struggles show themselves in week one, and Tennessee’s defense has a day shutting down Williams and Co. Then, their week two primetime matchup against the Texans turns into a laugher, with C.J. Stroud feasting on the Bears’ defense without any difficulty.
Despite having the third-easiest schedule in the league, Chicago fails to take advantage. Sure, they get a few wins and upsets here and there, but a daunting second half that sees them face off against the Packers, Lions, 49ers, and Seahawks destroys the team’s chances at a promising year.
Even with an upset win against Green Bay in week 18, the Bears finish 4-13 and are picking in the top five once again.
My Final Offensive Thoughts on the Chicago Bears
I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel bad for Justin Fields. With the revamped offensive core, I strongly support the possibility that the former Buckeye would have had a career year in 2024 with this team. But, I wish him nothing but the best in Pittsburgh.
Back to the Bears. This team is going to be fun to watch. With solid pieces on both sides of the ball, they aren’t an easy win on the schedule anymore. I expect Caleb Williams to be the final answer at quarterback for years to come. The front office did everything in their power to help him succeed right out of the gate with the moves they made. But, it’s up to the former USC product to perform and perform he will.
One player I can see benefiting from the attention towards the trio of wideouts in Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, and Rome Odunze is TE Cole Kmet. A tight end, after all, is usually a rookie quarterback’s best friend. Kmet has racked up 13 touchdowns in the past two seasons, including a season in which he racked up 73 receptions, 719 yards, and six touchdowns in 2023. I’ll go out on a limb and say he’ll have a statistical season close to those numbers this upcoming season.
Chicago’s offensive line shouldn’t be an issue, as they’re a promising young core led by Braxton Jones and Nate Davis. However, left guard Teven Jenkins will be one to watch, as he had the fifth-highest PFF grade among guards from weeks 9-15 in 2023. Also, with the addition of rookie Kiran Amegadjie (who can play guard or tackle), this unit should be able to protect their young signal-caller.
Final Defensive Thoughts
On defense, I love their cornerbacks. Jaylon Johnson’s 90.8 PFF grade in 2023 was the best at his position, as the 25-year-old showed major improvement across the board compared to previous seasons. Second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had four interceptions last year and should have another solid season this year.
Jaylon Johnson is in for a solid 2024.
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@OfficialJAYCHI) June 17, 2024
In just 14 games, he had 4 INT (1 being a return for a TD) along with 10 PD, 1 FF, and 36 tackles.
His first PB and AP season, watch out for him again ?pic.twitter.com/KaDGm7pnre
The addition of Kevin Byard at safety was a great move, as he pairs with Jaquan Brisker back there to form a solid safety duo of their own. Labeling them as a top-10 positional unit is not a reach whatsoever.
We know that Montez Sweat is a solid pass rusher who should have solid numbers again in 2024. But, can DeMarcus Walker (3.5 sacks in 2023) show flashes of his 2022 self where he put up seven sacks for the Tennessee Titans?
Their linebacking corps led by T.J. Edwards (79.6 PFF grade) and Tremaine Edmunds (69 tackles, four interceptions) are solid as well. The former was also a turnover and tackling machine (three interceptions and 155 tackles).
Chicago Bears Final Record Prediction: 8-9
Overall, the Chicago Bears will be a team that can surprise many people and contend for a wild-card spot. Regardless, fans should be optimistic about the team’s future, even if they outperform expectations in 2024.
Make sure to visit Belly Up Sports every week and follow me on Twitter/X! Also, check out me and my co-host Brian Germinaro on the Third and Ten Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts!
Featured Image: Bears/X
