The Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2010. The Bears have had a pretty amazing year thus far, which shocked most of the football community, since Vegas odds predicted them to be in the basement this season. Â Their previous records did not help their odds at all. They ended the 2017 season 5-11, resulting in the firing of Coach John Fox and signing on their new head coach, former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
They started off the season a little shaky, after a prime-time game against the Packers led to their first loss of the season after Aaron Rodgers had the biggest comeback this NFL season, overcoming a 17-point deficit in the second half of the game while hopping on one leg after suffering a first half injury.
The loss seemed to have sparked a fire within the team. The Bears followed up their devastating loss to the Packers with wins against Seattle, Arizona, and Tampa Bay. The game against Tampa Bay proved to critics that the Bears offense is a force to be reckoned with as well, since many critics have questioned the ability of young quarterback Mitch Trubisky. He scored six touchdowns that evening, becoming the second player in NFL history to throw five passes to five different receivers, proving he has the capability of potentially being a great quarterback in the future.
Afterwards, Bears had two devastating losses, losing to Miami in overtime and being defeated in New England by a touchdown. Following those games, the Bears went on a five-game winning streak defeating the New York Jets, Buffalo, Minnesota and Detroit twice.
Trubisky was out for two weeks and was purposely rested during their loss to the Giants so he could be ready for the highly anticipated game against the Los Angeles Rams, who were 11-1 at the time. The Bears defense stopped the Rams, which was shocking since their offense has been highly praised this year.
After defeating the Rams, the Bears needed a win against Green Bay to win the division, since another NFC North team, the Vikings, failed to defeat the Seahawks during Monday Night Football. Finally, the Bears had a chance at redemption against their devastating loss at the beginning of the season. They successfully held the Packers to 17 points –ironically – the number of points of the comeback deficit and were able to successfully to clinch the NFC North, earning them a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
What changed since last year? The culture did.
Since the Bears new GM Ryan Pace was hired in 2015, he put the pieces together to implement a strong team. The organization retained Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator who transitioned the Bears’ defense from virtually last place to a top 3 defense since he signed on. The Bears defense is loaded with talent like Akiem Hicks, Prince Amukamara, Kyle Fuller, and Eddie Jackson – just to name a few. Not to mention, the Bears obtained top linebacker Khalil Mack with a steal of a deal from the Raiders. The team also successfully drafted key playmaker Roquan Smith.
Coach Nagy’s offense has also done well given he is a first-year head coach and his quarterback is fairly new to the NFL. Nagy implemented a strong mentality throughout the team to be focused on the game in front of them, and not dwelling on the past. They don’t focus on things that are out of their control, and that mentality has shifted the team into a “Go out there, and get a win” mindset. It isn’t about all the failures of the past, it’s about what is in front of them and what needs to get done to win a game.
It hasn’t been announced who the Bears will face in the first week of the playoffs. However, they are prepared for whoever they face that day. The most important thing is that they have believed in themselves from the start, and they will continue to move forward, one play at a time.
Vegas odds for Bears to win Superbowl at the current moment: 15/1.
