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Chicago Bears: How the NFC North Can Be Won

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The NFC North has its fair share of competition. But with so many changes, did the Chicago Bears do enough to make a run for a division title?

The first Chicago Bears game of the 2016 NFL season is just around the corner. And like all the other 29 teams yet to play they stand at 0-0.

Every team in the NFC North did their best in filling up the gaps on the offense and defensive lines. Players returned from 2015 season-ending injuries such as Green Bay Packers wideout Jordy Nelson and Chicago Bears 2015 first-round draft pick, rookie Kevin White.

Then there was the departure of greats such as Detroit Lions Calvin “Megatron” Johnson to retirement, Bears great Matt Forte’ to the New York Jets and kicker Robbie Gould to roster cuts.

The most recent hit was to the Minnesota Vikings as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a severe and almost career-ending non-contact knee injury. This changes the dynamics of the NFC North. But what will it take for the Chicago Bears to win the division and not be the brunt of all football jokes? Let’s take a look.

Sep 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) congratulate players following their third quarter touchdown against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Bears defeated the Browns 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching Staff Must Be Great

It all starts with the coaching staff. Former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase jumped ship and went on to Miami Dolphins to be their head coach. So instead of changing to another offense and throwing quarterback Jay Cutler under the bus as an OC killer, the Bears stayed with Dowell Loggains.

Head coach John Fox insisted that they would keep the same offensive scheme but tweak it a little. Fox has a pretty good second-year record with both teams he has coached. When the season starts, we will all know what kind of tweaking went on in the thinking process. But for now, let’s see how Fox runs with it.

As for Loggains, let’s not forget he was an offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans for a season. They finished with a 7-9 record with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Before that, he was a quarterbacks coach. Recipients of his coaching also included Jake Locker, Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, and Connor Shaw. He now has the veteran Jay Cutler to work with and if Cutler can adjust to the minor tweaks, then there should be success. Loggains ability to coach the offense hinges on all the players being on the same page.

Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox high-fives Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) after his touchdown pass to Chicago Bears wide receiver Josh Bellamy (11) against the Detroit Lions in the second half of their game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

All Eyes Will Be on Cutler to Lead

In almost all media outlets the question on everyone’s mind is can Jay Cutler be a leader? Ask his teammates and they will tell you he is. Cutler is probably the only quarterback that is ripped for his attitude and demeanor on the field.

Matt Eurich of 247Sports quoted Pro Football Weekly’s Kevin Fishbain in an interview with running back Jeremy Langford regarding Cutler, saying, “He coaches the whole offense. He does a great job of controlling the whole offense and letting you know how he wants to run certain things or how to run routes or if you did a good job, he’ll tell you, good job.”

Tight End Zach Miller put it this way, “He’s our guy. That’s the General for us. We’ve got to be good for him. We need to be better for him and we plan on doing that.”

The success of Cutler rides on the ability to get rid of the ball when the offense collapses, whether it’s on a short pass or throwing it away. He can’t hold on to the ball when he gets sacked. Continued praise of his teammates and sideline encouragement is a sign of great leadership as well.  Consistency throughout the season will be the key.

Sep 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive back Ibraheim Campbell (24) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White (13) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Targets Need to Shine

Without Matt Forte’ running the field for the Chicago Bears, Jeremy Langford has been crowned the lead back. But Ka’Deem Carey and rookie Jordan Howard have clearly shown that they too can run the field. Fox likes to run multiple backs in his scheme and they will all have a chance to be the workhorse when their number is called.

In preseason alone, Howard rushed for 173 yards, Langford 79 yards, and Carey 36 yards, all of them with one touchdown apiece. As the fullback in the mix, Paul Lasike may be the secret weapon in allowing the backs to get their job done.

As for the receivers and tight ends, their success hinges on catching the ball when Cutler throws it. Both Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White dropped several good passes from Cutler in the preseason. Cameron Meredith and Josh Bellamy made an impact, earning the trust of their captain. Zach Miller will be Cutler’s go-to tight end when he needs that height, but it will be interesting to see how defense-end/turned tight end Greg Scruggs shines in his new position.

Cutler’s ability to be a top-10 quarterback will show if the offensive targets shine come game time.

Sep 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Deiondre Hall (32) reacts after breaking up a pass to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Defense Needs to Be Feared

The Chicago Bears did not become the Monsters of the Midway until the 1980s, especially in the 1984-85 seasons. The Bears went 15-1 in 1985 posting two shutouts against the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams. They were ranked first in the NFL in points allowed and yards allowed. Defensive end Richards Dent lead the league with 17 sacks and linebacker Mike Singletary was Defensive Player of the Year. Those days have since passed.

In 2015, JJ Watt of the Houston Texans led the league with 17.5 sacks. The most sacks for the Bears in 2015 was from Lamarr Houston with eight sacks. The defense merely ranked 20th out of 32 teams.

The defense lacked good pass rushers for a while, but it looks to change with the new personnel in place. The Bears finally have an aggressive front seven including linebackers that love to tackle. Moreover, they have a secondary that loves to disrupt plays. Even though there are at least seven rookies in the secondary, they are ready to make an impact and be part of a hungry defense.

Simply, the defense will have to be incredible for the Bears to climb the NFC North standings.

Oct 18, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Eddie Royal (19) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams Needs to Return…Something

In 2006 the Bears drafted kick/punt return specialist Devin Hester in the second round. His first season, he amassed 600 punt return yards and 528 kick return yards for a total of five touchdowns. But in 2013, he had his best season in kick returns, earning 1,436 yards, though no touchdowns. He was released the following year and the Bears have been unsuccessful in the return game ever since. I

t’s unlikely that current return-man Eddie Royal will come close to what Hester was able to do ,but he has to do something. This is an area the Bears really need to test and find the right specialist.

On the flipside, the Bears were burned twice by the return game last season when Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson took it to the house for a108 yard kickoff return. The following week, the Seattle Seahawks did it again with a 105-yard kickoff return by Tyler Lockett.

The Bears special teams unit will need to keep the return game no further than the 20-yard line. As for the kickoffs and extra points, newly acquired Connor Barth better stay 100 percent and help win games. After the release of veteran kicker Robbie Gould, fans will not be so forgiving if he does worse.

And there you have it! This is how the Bears will win the division. They need to out-throw, out-run, out-tackle and out-coach their division rivals. But most of all, they have to believe they can win it all.

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