Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears 2016 Staff Predictions

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:54 a.m. ET

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Oct 4, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Flags are brought out from the tunnel prior to player introductions for the game between the Chicago Bears and the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears Goggles On staff writers make their 2016 predictions for the Chicago Bears record.

The 2016 season is upon us!! There are high hopes for the Chicago Bears in Year 2 of the Ryan Pace and John Fox era. The Bears finished 2015 with a disappointing 6-10 record and missed the playoffs yet again. With an easier schedule and an improving roster, they’ve got to finish 2016 with a better record, right? They’re going to break the streak of seasons missing the playoffs since 2010, right?

On the offensive side of the ball, Jay Cutler returns for his eighth season with the Beloved, but the cast of characters around him is changing yet again. Gone are favorite targets Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett while the offensive line in front of him is totally different.

On defense, the front-7 has been completely overhauled. Free agents Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman should help bolster the run defense as rookie first round pick Leonard Floyd hopes to make a difference in the pass rush. The secondary has some serious questions with some unproven commodities trying to shore up the back end.

How do all these changes figure in the Chicago Bears win/loss record? Let’s see what our staff writers predicted:

Our staff made their predictions for the Chicago #Bears record. What's your prediction? pic.twitter.com/L9CVBE7qzS

— Bear Goggles On (@BearGogglesOn) September 9, 2016

Next: Boomer

Aug 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox directs his team against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the preseason game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Boomer: 8-8

I really didn’t want to fall into the 8-8 trap, but after running through their games a few different times, I couldn’t avoid it. The Bears have a chance to get off to a decent start after their season opener against the Houston Texans. They’ll face rookie quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott in consecutive prime-time dates before a divisional game against the Calvin Johnson-less Detroit Lions. I’ve got the Bears 3-1 after their first four games, an encouraging start.

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The second quarter of the season will present some challenges as the Bears travel to Indianapolis to face a Colts team looking to bounce back before coming home to host the improving Jacksonville Jaguars. A trip to face the always difficult Green Bay Packers before closing out the first half of the season at home against the Minnesota Vikings.

Following their Bye week, the Bears will travel to Tampa Bay and New York to face the Bucs and Giants. Both should be winnable games but I have a feeling they drop at least one of those, hopefully not the Tampa game, since I’ll be in attendance. The Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers will head to Soldier Field as Bear weather starts to move in.

The last quarter of the season will be a test for the Bears with three divisional games and a game against the improving Washington Redskins. It’s this stretch of games that will determine the Bears playoff fate. I have the Bears going 1-3 to close the season, limping to the finish line. If the Bears can rally and stay healthy, they could surprise some people and get to 9 or 10 wins, but I’m thinking 8-8 feels about right.

Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) throws a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers defense end Justin Smith (94) in the first half at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Flannery: 10-6

Can John Fox’s year two magic hold up? In his last two coaching gigs, he’s won double-digit games in year two with worse teams than the one he took over in Chicago. The Bears have an easier schedule this year, should be improved on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and have more talent at linebacker, wide receiver, and safety, but there are still plenty of question marks.

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Can the secondary stay healthy? Can the Bears force more turnovers this year? Can they generate a running game without Matt Forte? My answer is yes for all of the above. I think the preseason injuries to the top three corners were overplayed (why else would they not sign any DBs last weekend?), the front seven should generate a legitimate pass rush which will lead to more turnovers, and Jordan Howard will take over the starting RB gig by midseason and be a rookie of the year candidate.

The Bears aren’t going to be a dominant team in 2016, but with decent injury luck, improved talent at most positions, better execution in the second year of schemes on both sides of the ball, an improved offensive line that will protect Cutler and allow the Bears to kill the clock in games they have the lead, and another respectable statistical year from Jay Cutler.

They should be a better team on both sides of the ball, which will turn some of those close losses into wins this season and the Bears will sneak into the playoffs at 10-6.

Nov 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jeremy Langford (33) and tight end Zach Miller (86) wave to fans after Langford ran in for a six yard touchdown against the St. Louis Rams during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Chicago defeated St. Louis 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Zimmerman: 9-7

The Bears continue to make strides under John Fox and Ryan Pace. They will make the John Fox ‘jump’ in year two and add three additional wins from 2014. Unfortunately, that jump still won’t be enough to get them into the playoffs.

The biggest strides this year will be on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears defense is a top 10 NFL unit this year and has a chance to become top 5. They have a linebacking corps that will play big in both the run and passing game. Their front three will also be stout with Akiem Hicks making strides and I expect Jonathan Bullard to unseat Mitch Unrein as the other starting DE within a few weeks. Eddie Goldman has slimmed down and is ready to make a major impact. The secondary will struggle at times, but the front seven will be strong enough that they will be able to cover their warts most of the time.

Offensively, if the Bears can be average, that will be good enough. It’s tough to expect Jay Cutler to be anything more than he was last year with a new offensive coordinator. The running back by committee will miss Matt Forte at times and there are still question marks along the offensive line and at tight end. Josh Sitton will be a huge boost up front, but he can’t cure all the woes single-handedly.

I always felt the Bears were aiming for 2017 to be their big breakout season and it still looks like that’s the plan. The Bears will make strides this year, but not enough to placate all Bears fans. I hate to sound like a Cubs fan, but wait til next year. It could be something special.

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of a large Chicago Bears helmet display in Draft Town in Grant Park before the 2016 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Wase: 11-5

Call me an optimist, but I believe in John Fox’s year 2 success. I know we all saw the preseason and it was nothing to boast about, but it’s the preseason. let’s not panic just yet. I believe 11-5 is absolutely possible.

The Bears first six games only feature one elite QB and one elite defense. The rest are mid-tiered teams, with holes at important positions. This schedule is very favorable, we deal with Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers when we think of top 10 status, other than that these middle of the pack QBs and rosters don’t scare me.

Granted the Bears are in the same boat but what differentiates us, is our elite coaching staff. Give me a coaching staff better than ours and I’ll change my name. Vic Fangio and John Fox will have this defense up and running especially with the additions of Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan.

On offense just keep Jay clean and upright and our offense will keep us in the game. Trust Jay and trust John Fox. The promised land is near and the playoffs are absolutely a possibility. Soon we might be able to call ourselves the Super Bowl Bears once again. Soon.

Aug 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Tracy Porter (21)takes a knee to the head from teammate Harold Jones-Quartey (29) during the first half of the preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Kwiecinski: 7-9

The Bears will benefit from playing two rookie quarterbacks in the first three games, but starting 3-1 is not out of the question. The question remains, however, is if the Bears can stop a quarterback that’s not a rookie.

Playing Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, Eli Manning, Marcus Mariota, Blake Bortles and Aaron Rodgers (twice) is not a good omen when your best cornerback is Tracy Porter. The Bears season comes down to how they’ll play in the crunch time months of the year.

If last season was any indication, they won’t fair too well. Granted, 7-9 is not a bad finish when it comes down to a rebuilding team, but more talent is needed in the secondary if the Bears will hope to jump past third in the NFC North. However, a classic John Fox surprise isn’t out of the question.

Games against any NFC North opponent not named Green Bay could go either way, and contests against Tennessee, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville are definitely winnable. It just depends if the Bears can stay healthy and improve as the season progresses, but counting on both happening is a long shot.

Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bear fans wear paper bags over their heads in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings win 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Zook: 10-6

The Bears are clearly (to me, at least) a much better team this year. The overall level of talent and proper fit to the scheme are outstanding. No, there are not a lot of established superstars, but the talent level is very high. On the other hand, this is also a very young team.

Between starters and those expected to get significant playing time, there are at least 10 players with a year or less of NFL experience, 33 of 53 have three years or less. On top of that, injuries continue to leave the team in a state of flux, going into the first game of the season with starters lost for the season or already playing through pain.

Over the course of the next 17 weeks, how many will be lost and how many will play at less than 100%? How many of the even less experienced backups will step up and outperform when they are called on? It is impossible to predict that. So, I have to go with what will satisfy me, rather than what I expect (8 wins) or what I hope (12 wins). I feel completely safe in saying that the Bear’s win total for the 2016 season should fall somewhere between 4 and 14.

Wild Bill: 8-8

This Bears season will take a step in the right direction, but the playoffs are still slightly out of reach for a young Chicago team. Expect a slower start considering all the new acquisitions, especially along the offensive line. Chemistry is something that takes time to build, but when these Bears get clicking, it will be time to watch out.

That chemistry will face a tough task Week 1 when the Bears pay a visit to JJ Watt and company. The Bears will also face early troubles with their below average secondary against the likes of Blake Bortles, Andrew Luck, Aaron Rodgers, and many others. However, much like last year, the Bears will pull together down the stretch.

Weapons on offense like Alshon Jeffery and Jeremy Langford will begin to dominate while Fangio works his magic on the Bears’ secondary. Also expect young players like Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Jonathan Bullard, and others to begin to make their names known in the second half of the season. Expect some development from the young, raw talent the Bears have on their roster like Deiondre’ Hall and Kevin White. Hold steady for the first eight weeks Bears fans, because the second half of the year will give a glimpse of what the Monsters of the Midway have in store for the coming years.

Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) celebrates his touchdown in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Florian: 8-8

I honestly tried to give the Bears a better record than the infamous 8-8, and despite them having one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, I couldn’t.

A slightly overrated and handsomely paid (yes, overpaid) Brock Osweiler, two rookie quarterbacks, the underachiever Matt Stafford, and Andrew Luck, who’s coming off a down year littered with injuries, could be a worse start to the 2016 season. Yet it is impossible to block out the Bears’ chemistry issues. They’ve added an important piece to their offensive line with Josh Sitton, but they need more snaps as a unit.

That said, the Bears acquired too much talent in free agency and the draft to have another 6-10 losing season. Plus, the electric receiving tandem of Jeffery and White, combined with Cutler’s often moody, but sometimes clutch, and always strong arm, could positively surprise Bears fans this year. I don’t believe they’ll be able to contain J.J. Watt Week 1, and DeAndre Hopkins will make Osweiler occasionally look like he is worth the $72 million.

Weeks 2 to 5 are indubitably winnable, facing rookies Wentz and Prescott, and an underwhelming Colts pass rush should give the Bears O-line a little break. The Bears better hope their starters at outside cornerback, Porter and Fuller, stay healthy because their young and unproven group of corners would certainly have their hands full against the Jags, Packers, Bucs, Giants, and Titans.

Brittle-Bradford in Week 8 and 17? Flip a coin. Do the same with the Megatron-less Lions in Week 4 and 14, while you’re at it. I have the Bears winning at Soldier Field twice, respectively (despite their unacceptable record at home last year).

The Niners should be more than winnable, considering their quarterback situation.
I also think Cutler has enough offensive weapons to beat the Redskins defense Week 16.
The Bears fan in me tells me Week 15 against the Packers is a W. I remember last year’s Thanksgiving vividly and the Bears have acquired a lot of talent in the offseason — there’s no way they lose to the Packers twice, right? Right?!

Ryan Pace has done a great job of adding young talent to the Bears roster through the draft, and proven talent in free agency. But their lack of chemistry on the offensive line can’t be ignored, and the depth issues at cornerback are too evident. It’s a classic case of an 8-8 season.

What do you think? Post your predictions in the Comments!

BEAR DOWN!!!

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