Can we make a deep run..,

[Chucktownsteeler]

I was going to give this thread a different title but it sounded perverse.

Seriously, defense has a lot of “ifs” but it Tuitt and Alualu show old form, Cam dips his toe in the fountain of youth and Adams and Wormley keep progressing the DL looks good.

Secondary is improved with Kazee, ‘Spoon, and Levi. Minkah is Minkah and Edmonds is still playing for a contract.

OLB duo is one of the best if not the best in the NFL. The questions is can Flores mold Bush and Jack into respectable players.

The offense got IOL upgrades but Tackles still a big question mark.

Arguably the WR position (barring injury) has been upgraded bigly. This group could be fierce.

At QB I look for a strong battle in camp and it wouldn’t surprise me if any one of the 3 won the job. Again barring injury I think Mitch is the starter and remains so.

So with all this being said can this team make the playoffs and make a long run???

It wouldn’t surprise me.

[hawaiiansteel]

I think this is going to be a rebuilding year.

I'll be very surprised if we make the playoffs.

[Bawb the Revelator]

I was going to give this thread a different title but it sounded perverse.

Seriously, defense has a lot of “ifs” but it Tuitt and Alualu show old form, Cam dips his toe in the fountain of youth and Adams and Wormley keep progressing the DL looks good.

Secondary is improved with Kazee, ‘Spoon, and Levi. Minkah is Minkah and Edmonds is still playing for a contract.

OLB duo is one of the best if not the best in the NFL. The questions is can Flores mold Bush and Jack into respectable players.

The offense got IOL upgrades but Tackles still a big question mark.

Arguably the WR position (barring injury) has been upgraded bigly. This group could be fierce.

At QB I look for a strong battle in camp and it wouldn’t surprise me if any one of the 3 won the job. Again barring injury I think Mitch is the starter and remains so.

So with all this being said can this team make the playoffs and make a long run???

It wouldn’t surprise me.

Sure. It's avoiding season ending injuries and making the playoffs.
An 18 week Demolition Derby with dramatic Life or Death voiceovers.
Go 17-0 and lose to Playoff 8 you're a flop and you might lose your job.
The 1978 Steelers beat the 9-7 Ray Malavasi LA Rams in the last half.
They're the "Super Steelers." Ben tosses a last second SB TD toe dance.
Look, I'm not trying to 86 the fun. I'm trying to keep **** generally real.

"For three hours a game's the most important thing in the world.
Then somebody wins. The next day it doesn't mean a thing."
- William Felton "Bill" Russell Sport's greatest winner

[Oviedo]

If Trubisky starts the whole season, and we don't rush Pickett, we will win 10 games and make the playoffs. I feel better advancing in the playoffs with the team we have on paper this year than the last couple.

[Ernie]

Theres no question we are better talent wise on both sides of the ball...
Now what that looks like in terms of W-L record is anyones guess.
Folks look at losing Ben as automatically putting us in a "Rebuilding mode"... but I dont think that's necessarily the case... given his drastic decline these past few years

[Northern_Blitz]

I think we'll compete for a playoff spot, but probably end up on the outside looking in.

Hopefully, I'm overestimating the other teams in the division.

[WindyCitySteel]

I think this is going to be a rebuilding year.

I'll be very surprised if we make the playoffs.

Same, even more surprised if it's a deep run. We'd need to hit on a 10-play parlay of things we need to go right for that to happen. I think it's more likely we have a top-5 pick in 2023 than end up in a conference title game.

[WindyCitySteel]

Theres no question we are better talent wise on both sides of the ball...
Not what that looks like in terms of W-L record is anyones guess.
Folks look at losing Ben as automatically putting us in a "Rebuilding mode"... but I dont think that's necessarily the case... given his drastic decline these past few years

It's not that we lost Ben, it's that Trubisky is who he is and the D has a lot of ???. And while Ben wasn't making plays, he had a 1.6 and 1.7 INT rate the last couple years. Mitch's career % is 2.4%, 2.7% the last time he played significant snaps in a season. He'll make more plays, for both teams, we'll be outgunned at QB most weeks.

And even though I think people are overplaying Ben's "clutch" play last year, Mitch is the anti-clutch QB. Telling you, fans will be pulling their hair out and screaming for Kenny before September is out. Hope I'm wrong.

[Ernie]

It's not that we lost Ben, it's that Trubisky is who he is and the D has a lot of ???. And while Ben wasn't making plays, he had a 1.6 and 1.7 INT rate the last couple years. Mitch's career % is 2.4%, 2.7% the last time he played significant snaps in a season. He'll make more plays, for both teams, we'll be outgunned at QB most weeks.

And even though I think people are overplaying Ben's "clutch" play last year, Mitch is the anti-clutch QB. Telling you, fans will be pulling their hair out and screaming for Kenny before September is out. Hope I'm wrong.

I guess folks forget that Trubisky was a probowler a few years ago..
Did he just all of a sudden fall off a cliff after making the probowl... or was he the product of mismanagement by a subpar coach/organization? I'm not willing to write him off yet.

[WindyCitySteel]

I guess folks forget that Trubisky was a probowler a few years ago..
Did he just all of a sudden fall off a cliff after making the probowl... or was he the product of mismanagement by a subpar coach/organization? I'm not willing to write him off yet.

That was a joke - he was PFF's lowest rated passer that season and only made the Pro Bowl because Goff had to bow out to play in the Super Bowl.

Seriously, if you're pinning your hopes on that you're in for a huge disappointment.

https://sports.yahoo.com/its-time-to-panic-about-bears-qb-mitchell-trubisky-172056141.html

[Ernie]

That was a joke - he was PFF's lowest rated passer that season and only made the Pro Bowl because Goff had to bow out to play in the Super Bowl.

Seriously, if you're pinning your hopes on that you're in for a huge disappointment.

https://sports.yahoo.com/its-time-to...172056141.html

Well... it cant get much worse than we had last year with Ben.... so theres that...

[feltdizz]

I guess folks forget that Trubisky was a probowler a few years ago..
Did he just all of a sudden fall off a cliff after making the probowl... or was he the product of mismanagement by a subpar coach/organization?

Yes!!!! The answer is yes.

He fell off a cliff and the Bears “mismanaged him”

but I think Windy is probably more right than wrong regarding Trubisky. People act like a Pro Bowl is All Pro these days.

Making a Pro Bowl means little IMO.

[Oviedo]

I think we'll compete for a playoff spot, but probably end up on the outside looking in.

Hopefully, I'm overestimating the other teams in the division.

Bumgals--will take a step back. Alot of things broke their way last season.
Ravens--no receivers and a QB who isn't an elite passer. They plan to win with 90s style "Marty ball"...I don't think so
Browns--will lose their new starter for at least a third of the season...plus they are the Browns. I think they are going to wish they had Mayfield.

I don't see anyone in the division having more than 12 wins max

[Northern_Blitz]

It's not that we lost Ben, it's that Trubisky is who he is and the D has a lot of ???. And while Ben wasn't making plays, he had a 1.6 and 1.7 INT rate the last couple years. Mitch's career % is 2.4%, 2.7% the last time he played significant snaps in a season. He'll make more plays, for both teams, we'll be outgunned at QB most weeks.

And even though I think people are overplaying Ben's "clutch" play last year, Mitch is the anti-clutch QB. Telling you, fans will be pulling their hair out and screaming for Kenny before September is out. Hope I'm wrong.

Hopefully whoever we have at QB will have an intended air yard distance of greater than 1.7 yards too.

We might even start throwing past the line of scrimmage on 4th down. Maybe not passed the sticks, but you can't ask for too much in just one year.

[Northern_Blitz]

Bumgals--will take a step back. Alot of things broke their way last season.
Ravens--no receivers and a QB who isn't an elite passer. They plan to win with 90s style "Marty ball"...I don't think so
Browns--will lose their new starter for at least a third of the season...plus they are the Browns. I think they are going to wish they had Mayfield.

I don't see anyone in the division having more than 12 wins max

I agree that no one in our division will have a lot of wins. But I think it's because we'll beat the crap out of eachother.

Hopefully the west has one team that sweeps the others. That might open the way for a WC from other divisions. But I don't think the 3rd place team in the AFCN is going to get in, so we'll probably need to be at least 2nd.

I wouldn't bet on it, but I hope it happens.