BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 1 hour ago, Epyon said: Assuming caleb stays healthy all year, and Swift does as well (I'll explain in a minute) Caleb clears 4250 passing yards (I don't think the run game will be that great this year, as in super skeptical about our push up the middle.... I also expect heavy blitzing coming Caleb's way, leading to a VERY active screen game to replace the running game) Overall record in expecting between 11 and 13 wins, and to win the division, sweeping both the vikings and lions. Green Bay I think game 1 is a coin flip and the season finale, we lose via sitting the starters for the playoffs. I think we're also going to be near the top of the league in sack production and INTs. My expectation is that we are going to be an "all gas, no brakes" type team to win this year... I don't think our run game is great, and our defensive strengths mean we want to be playing from a lead and forcing them to pass into us to catch up. Our nightmare scenario team would be basically what the titans where a few years ago with Derrick Henry, where they can constantly run the ball and gain yards/points forcing us to try and catch up. Fwiw, I also think this team could be super vulnerable to the "lovie Smith special", where we try to slow play one or two score leads with prevent defense early and kill clock. We will be far more successful if this unit is constantly trying to run the score up. It's really puzzling to predict this teams run success. You are probably right that the run game isn't great and it comes down to a couple factors: -Assumptions about the Bears being a good run team are heavily skewed by Justin Fields, both his numbers and the threat of him running that opened lanes for others -Our OL... If they tend towards the worst case scenario, or are even what we expect, I think the offense might work better with quick dumpoffs (cue the cliche "extension of the run game") that replace some of the run production with quick passes -It feels like they want to feature back Swift, and I am just not sure which version of him we'll get. My perception is certainly skewed by watching him as a Lion, but I never felt like he was great and at the time liked Montogomery better. As for the rest of your post, I sure hope so. I think an aggressive style will suit both the D and O, and specifically to help Calebs development I think avoiding grind-it-out games might be helpful. It seemed REALLY demoralizing for Justin last year when the Bears would turtle up and end up losing a lead late anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisoxguy7 Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 Having a competent passing attack is going to open up the run game in ways we haven't seen here in Chicago since Cutler/Forte. Teams actually having to defend beyond 15 yards which they rarely had to do with Fields is going to make our OL look a lot better. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugashane Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 33 minutes ago, chisoxguy7 said: Having a competent passing attack is going to open up the run game in ways we haven't seen here in Chicago since Cutler/Forte. Teams actually having to defend beyond 15 yards which they rarely had to do with Fields is going to make our OL look a lot better. Hey now, teams had to defend over 15 yards with Fields. They just had the 10-25 yards from the LOS and middle of the field that they could kind of ignore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 I am going to write a few thoughts before I read thread so I am not influenced. Biggest concerns: Biggest is not so much about our team, but Detroit and Green Bay have really good teams and MN has some blue chip players and great coaching. Even with a good year 2024 will be tough as our division is stacked. Center of Oline remains a concern and LT is still just adequate. Flus being too conservative in his game plans. Playing not to lose instead of to win. We saw it last year whole year on offense and first half of year on defense. Dline depth is atrocious. Maybe worst in league. Biggest positives: Skill positions are stacked. QB has immense talent. Oline has greater depth outside of Tackle. Special Teams should be well above average. Predictions: Caleb will shatter every Bears rookie record and many Bears QB records. We will have a 3 game losing streak at some point where everyone loses their minds, me included. Hopefully not first 3 games again. Losing first game, if it happens, will be devasting. But not nearly as devasting as losing to GB in opener like has been happening way too often in recent years. Defense will not be a top 5 unit, but will be a top 10 one. (Health permitting of course - especially on Dline). Sweat has his best year as a pro. Gordon leads team in INTs. J. Johnson makes first team all-pro. T. Edmunds has his best year as a pro. I have many injury predictions, but I am not going to say any aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskieBear Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 this division would be a lot more enjoyable for me if the lions didn't turn things around and keep lions-ing and if jordan love didn't join the farve/rodgers train in GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 Honestly if Caleb hits, and JLo doesn't turn into a pumpkin, this is kind of the AFC west of the NFC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 5 hours ago, BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW said: Assumptions about the Bears being a good run team are heavily skewed by Justin Fields, both his numbers and the threat of him running that opened lanes for others I’m curious to see how much Caleb runs. He won’t get the designed runs like Fields did, but he’s a guy who can run and will run from the position. Heck, he ran for 21 TDs the past 2 years at USC. I hate to invoke Mahomes in any comp for Williams because there are way too many of those already, but he’s shown that he’s that same type of runner as a QB - he’ll take yards that are there when the defense locks down the pass and he’s not fast, but he’s fast enough and willing enough that defenses have to respect his ability to run when he’s on the move. Herbert and Lawrence are also runners like that. Younger Rodgers was like that too, and those runs where he’d extend drives when we seemingly had them stopped were killers, and almost always seemed to lead to points. 5 hours ago, BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW said: It feels like they want to feature back Swift, and I am just not sure which version of him we'll get. My perception is certainly skewed by watching him as a Lion, but I never felt like he was great and at the time liked Montogomery better. Swift will for sure get featured, but when we get to short yardage spots I think Roschon is going to get a decent amount of run. He runs hard and knocks would be tacklers back with far more consistency than any of our other backs. He also still gives us the option to throw the ball effectively from run heavy formations both as a capable receiver himself and as arguably our best pass blocker at the position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted September 5 Author Share Posted September 5 5 hours ago, BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW said: Honestly if Caleb hits, and JLo doesn't turn into a pumpkin, this is kind of the AFC west of the NFC How so? Aside from KC, the AFC West sucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 12 hours ago, beardown3231 said: How so? Aside from KC, the AFC West sucks Ah good point, I think my perception of that division is a couple years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted September 5 Author Share Posted September 5 59 minutes ago, BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW said: Ah good point, I think my perception of that division is a couple years old. I do think the NFCN is the best division in football Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 4 hours ago, beardown3231 said: I do think the NFCN is the best division in football Who else is up there? AFC N and E? I'm really out of touch with the state of the NFL right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 20 hours ago, beardown3231 said: How so? Aside from KC, the AFC West sucks Remember 3 years ago when Russ signed in DEN and it was supposed to become some gauntlet? That was fun. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 2 hours ago, BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW said: Who else is up there? AFC N and E? I'm really out of touch with the state of the NFL right now Underrated I think the NFC West is pretty strong. SF obviously, but SEA and LA are playoff contenders too, and AZ will be better than most think IMO, at least on offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted September 5 Author Share Posted September 5 3 hours ago, BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW said: Who else is up there? AFC N and E? I'm really out of touch with the state of the NFL right now I'd say NFCN, AFCN and NFCE in that order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 15 hours ago, AZBearsFan said: Underrated I think the NFC West is pretty strong. SF obviously, but SEA and LA are playoff contenders too, and AZ will be better than most think IMO, at least on offense. I think the West might be one of the more even divisions, but I dont know that its one of the best Id say everyone is moving more toward the Cardinals, while the Cardinals become a little more exciting (not necessarily good). Even the Niners who are still good, seem to be less good than most recent seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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