The Cubs and White Sox lost relevance months ago. The Blackhawks and Bulls haven’t started their respective seasons yet. But even if those four teams were starring on the Chicago sports scene right now, the undefeated Bears would still be the biggest story.
After thrilling come-from-behind wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings and a Sunday night throttling of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bears appear to be one of the best teams in the NFL, sitting fourth in ESPN’s current power rankings. But Bears fans know all too well this early success does not guarantee much. Chicagoans have seen their team fade in the past two seasons, including a spectacular fall from grace in 2012 when Jay Cutler and company missed the playoffs after starting the season 7-1.
So the question is this: what do the Bears need to continue doing well and what do they need to improve to maintain their success?
At the beginning of the season Bears fans wanted to know if the offensive line could keep Cutler upright, and so far they have allowed sacks on only 2.9 percent of Cutler’s drop-backs. Much of the credit should be given to the new-look offensive line, which features four new starters, but Cutler has made important changes to his game under first-time NFL head coach Marc Trestman.
Trestman has helped Cutler reduce the average distance his passes travel to seven yards per pass attempt, 27th in the league. This means plays take less time to develop, making the offensive line’s job easier. Cutler has expressed that he is glad that this year he has direct communication with the head coach, since Trestman calls plays as well.
All Bears fans can rejoice at the sight of a happy Cutler, as apposed to previous iterations of the volatile quarterback, who was ridiculed for poor body language and yelling at teammates. However the most important change Cutler has displayed is the ability to come up clutch in the fourth quarter and lead his team on two gamewinning drives that have propelled the Bears to their 3-0 record.
The run game has remained solid as Matt Forte continues to arguably be a top- 10 back, averaging the ninth most yards per carry, and Michael Bush is serviceable in goal line situations.
Although Brandon Marshall is still clearly Cutler’s favorite target, the continued growth of Alshon Jeffery has given Cutler a reliable second option and the addition of Martellus Bennett at tight end has given Cutler a sure-handed, big body to throw to in the red zone. This has created a much more balanced passing attack this year.
Although the Bears are third in scoring so far, they have only the 22nd-ranked offense. Much of this disparity can be attributed to the Bears’ team-scoring identity, meaning the other two phases can put point on the board and shorten the field for the offense.
The defense, which has created the most takeaways and scored the most touchdowns of any team, has helped the offense immensely. So has the revitalization of Devin Hester, who is back as the team’s sole kick returner and racked up a career high in return yards for a single game in Week 2. The defense has been solid against the run, but it remains susceptible against the pass, giving up a shade over 294 yards per game through the air. The emphasis placed on the defensive backs to create turnovers leaves opportunity for receivers to have success, as the Steelers’ Antonio Brown proved in Week 3, when he had caught nine passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
Other defensive concerns include the loss of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Henry Melton to an ACL tear, the nagging injuries Charles Tillman faces and the lack of an impact created by Julius Peppers and the pass rush in general, which has generated only five sacks.
Overall, the Bears look like a team that is here to stay, as they are becoming one of the most well rounded teams in the league. If they can shore up the pass defense and create a better pass rush, they should have no problem continuing to win.
