In 2019, the Chicago Bears came off their first playoff appearance since 2010 and entered the season with Super Bowl expectations. Mitch Trubisky was a rising QB expected to solidify himself as a franchise QB, Head Coach Matt Nagy looked to learn from rookie mistakes and become an even better coach, and the Khalil Mack-lead defense looked to have themselves another elite campaign.
Guess how many of those statements became true that year? If you answered none of them, you are correct! Now, 2019 is in the rear-view mirror, and we approach the 2020 football season. Stakes are high, futures are in jeopardy, and we, as fans, have no clue what to expect. The Bears have the capabilities to become a winning football team again, but will they have another QB controversy ruin a talented squad again? Within this article, I will give my complete 2020 Chicago Bears season predictions. This will consist of their win/loss record, team award winners, and end it with five bold predictions.
Before every year, I always love to make predictions with both the Bears and the entire NFL season. They are a healthy mix of what I believe will happen, going with my gut, while also going bold at times along the way. I pride myself on trying to be as realistic as possible regarding my view on sports and its outcomes. Just like in my everyday life, I try not to BS anyone on what I truly believe. Am I perfect at it? Of course not, but you have to be realistic when it comes to making these types of predictions.
Make no mistake, most of my predictions will be wrong, both here and in my full NFL predictions coming out within the next few days. But I try to have fun doing so, as I always enjoy putting stuff down before the season starts. Now, I finally have an outlet to make my predictions go public here, so let us dive in and get started.
If you have not already, please feel free to check out my introduction article, I had a blast putting it together. You will get to know more about me, my background, and my plans for this website here:
Week-By-Week Predictions
Week 1: @ Detroit Lions...Loss (0-1)
Week 2 v.s. New York Giants...Win (1-1)
Week 3 @ Atlanta Falcons...Loss (1-2)
Week 4 v.s. Indianapolis Colts...Loss (1-3)
Week 5 v.s. Tampa Bay Buccaneers...Win (2-3)
Week 6 @ Carolina Panthers...Win (3-3)
Week 7 @ Los Angelas Rams...Win (4-3)
Week 8 v.s. New Orleans Saints...Loss (4-4)
Week 9 @ Tennessee Titans...Loss (4-5)
Week 10 v.s. Minnesota Vikings...Win (5-5)
Week 11 BYE
Week 12 @ Green Bay Packers...Loss (5-6)
Week 13 v.s. Detroit Lions...Win (6-6)
Week 14 v.s. Houston Texans...Win (7-6)
Week 15 @ Minnesota Vikings...Loss (7-7)
Week 16 @ Jacksonville Jaguars...Win (8-7)
Week 17 v.s. Green Bay Packers...Loss (8-8)
Final Record: 8-8
Team MVP: OLB Khalil Mack
Defensive Player of the Year: OLB Khalil Mack
Team Rookie of the Year: CB Jaylon Johnson
Best Win: Week 5 v.s. Tampa Bay
Worst Loss: Week 1 v.s. Detroit
Pro-Bowlers: OLB Khalil Mack, FS Eddie Jackson
Five Bold Predictions:
1. The Bears start 1-3 with Trubisky under center
Mitch Trubisky, Ready To Take A Snap In A Preseason Game v.s the Cincinnati Bengals In 2018
(Credit: Herald & Review)
Whether we want to accept it or not, Mitch Trubisky is our starting QB heading into Week 1. But there is no question that no matter who starts, their leash is short. In this scenario, I believe the Bears get upset by the Lions right off the bat. They rebound against a Giants team that should have an array of offensive weapons when healthy but then fall to the Falcons and Colts the next two weeks. Trubisky plays average, but not enough to help us win and will get off to an underwhelming start. Fans become frustrated and start to panic, while already thinking about 2021.
2. However, Nagy switches to Foles for Week 5, and win three straight games with him
Could you imagine this scenario playing out?! Nick Foles, the man chosen in March by GM Ryan Pace to potentially overtake, or light a fire, under Trubisky, and was already a folk hero in the NFL after his heroics in Philadelphia. Now he gets his chance to step in and give fans a reason to believe in the Bears in 2020, and boy, the timing could not be better. His first start comes against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers and will play in a highly anticipated Super Bowl 52 QB rematch under the lights at Soldier Field. The Bears beat a presumed Super Bowl contender and carry that momentum into not only defeating the Panthers the following week but head down to the LA Coliseum on Monday Night Football and stomp over the Rams the week after. The Bears are above .500, on a three-game winning streak, and have a new QB inject the city of Chicago with newfound excitement and hype.
Nick Foles and Tom Brady, Potentially Ready To Meet Again In Different Uniforms This Season
(Credit: NJ.com)
3. Riley Ridley becomes the team’s most significant breakout/surprise player
Running Back David Montgomery would be the obvious choice here, as he is firmly placed in the workhorse role. But his early-season injury status is up in the air at the moment, so I will not go there just yet. Instead, I will go with a fellow second-year player in Wide Receiver Riley Ridley. After being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Ridley was considered by many to be a great value pick by Pace. However, he only managed to receive just seven targets and caught six of them last year.
Heading into 2020, the Bears slightly underwhelmed in adding help at Wide Receiver, as Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and newcomer Ted Ginn appear to be at the top of the depth chart. I could see a scenario where the Bears utilize Ridley plenty this year and have him push his way forward for more targets this year. I do not expect Ridley to make a large impact right way, but having him receive more targets as the year dwindles down is a very realistic scenario. If the Bears were fortunate to snag him later in last year's draft, they should take advantage of that opportunity and target him more often on the field.
Riley Ridley, Entering Soldier Field For Warm Ups Last Year (Credit: Yahoo! Sports)
4. Robert Quinn Does Not Live Up To His Hefty Contract In Year One
Boy, I REALLY hope I am wrong with this prediction here. The Bears finally cut ties from a disappointment of a draft pick in Outside Linebacker Leonard Floyd this offseason. They filled his void with the signing of Robert Quinn. Quinn had his career resurged in Dallas last season and led the team in sacks (11.5), which would eventually earn him a five year, $70 million deal with the Bears. Quinn has an impressive resume, specifically earlier in his career, but two things concern me: 1) Paying a 30-year-old pass rusher a 5-year contract worth $12 million a year worries me a bit. 2) More importantly, Quinn has more experience and thrived more with his hands in the dirt with a 4-3 defense. The Bears run a 3-4 defense, where the Edge Rushers play a different role than those in a 4-3. Quinn himself stated before that he prefers playing in a 4-3 defense, and the Bears are not making changes in that department.
I believe Quinn will be an upgrade and much harder to prepare for than Floyd ever was, and Quinn’s presence bodes well for Khalil Mack on the opposite side of the line. But you do not give a player $12 million a year just to help another athlete on the field. Quinn has the capabilities of becoming a double-digit sacker again. Still, I worry about him living up to a hefty contract in a system that is less preferable for him. Hopefully, Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano has accommodations for him to play to the best of his capabilities.
Robert Quinn, Then With Dallas, Chasing Down His Future Teammate During Week 14 Last Year
(Credit: Da Windy City)
5. Pace & Nagy will be fired after season’s end
Here is another prediction that I hope does not become true, but reality must be faced: Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy are on thin ice. Pace has built a talented roster, that I do not doubt, but his shortcomings at the QB position, among other mistakes, will finally catch up to him as the team finishes the year at 8-8 and miss the playoffs once again. Nagy, the 2018 Coach of the Year, had an extremely disappointing 2019 season as he was the ring leader of a lifeless offense. As we have seen before, he is a great coach and an even better human being. If he can screw his head on right this year, his job status should be safe. The problem? Our offense stinks, and I believe they will force Nagy his way out of town. He does not deserve it, he deserves a better QB and offense as a whole. But if Pace goes, it would hard to believe that a new regime would be interested in keeping the coach around. Just watch him go somewhere else with a compatible QB room and succeed the way we envisioned.
Ryan Pace And Matt Nagy, Together At The Beginning And Now Potentially Facing The End In Chicago
(Credit: Chicago Sun-Times)
So Why Am I Down On The Bears This Year?
There it is: An 8-8 record, miss the playoffs, Trubisky disappoints, and the Pace/Nagy era eventually comes to an end.
As I mentioned, the Bears are a talented team, and I do believe that they have the capabilities of making the playoffs again. I hate having to downplay the team I live and die by, but as I said previously, I have to be realistic with myself. There are a few obstacles in the way that I do not believe they will overcome.
First, I firmly believe the shortcomings of Ryan Pace addressing the Offensive Line will come back and haunt him. I have complained far enough in previous articles and with my friends that are Bears fans about the issue. Replacing a solid presence in Kyle Long with a former first round bust, Germain Ifedi, as a starter is disappointing at say the least. Furthermore, the team did not address the front line until the seventh round! Unless new Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo can work some magic in his unit, I expect them to crumble this year, which does not bode well for the offense whatsoever.
Second, the Bears play in a tight division within an even tighter overall conference, per usual. I expect the division to slightly underwhelm and pose as a smaller force for the rest of the conference, but that does not mean the group of four will not be competitive. Minnesota and Green Bay are already threats full of talent, and the Lions are not a team to fully sleep on whatsoever. Having Chicago win the division is not entirely out of the realm of possibilities, but I have a hard time envisioning it.
Finally, our not-so anticipated QB war. Did you think I was not going to mention this? Unless you are oblivious to reality, we as fans must know that our QB situation has a good chance at dooming us in typical Bears fashion: Have porous QB play waste an elite defense once again. I have hardly any inspiration from Trubisky to have himself a career resurgence. Although he is only one year removed from having a good season (at least in Bears standards), his collapse last year has most fans and I far too scarred to invest much hope in him this year.
Nick Foles will not start right away, but there is no doubt in my mind he will come in relief for Trubisky, one way or another. The question is, what will be his effect on the team, and could it be enough to keep the offense afloat while (we hope) the defense remains potent. I will be honest; my prediction of him earlier in the article is more-so me trying to be bold rather than being greatly confident in it. While I have more faith in Foles this year, his lack of regular-season success in his career and his average-at-best surrounding talent in Chicago simply is not enough for me to believe he can be successful for a whole year.
The situation as a whole is a mess, and after we all thought we were free from QB controversies heading into last year, we as fans are back to what we are sadly used to all these years.
My Plans For The Regular Season
Heading into the year, I plan to do weekly game previews and post-game thoughts on each game. Although I have my early-season predictions within this article, my week-by-week predictions are bound to change based on how the season is going. For example, I may have the Bears losing to the Colts for Week 4 at the moment, but by the time that game comes, my opinion could change based on how each team is perming up to that game, injuries, etc. So please make sure to check out those articles as the season passes along.
As most of you know, I am also a full-time college student with a part-time job, so I will 100% try my best to get all of my planned content out on time. But brace for potential delays or missed articles; I apologize in advance. But if I do not work during games, or busy with anything else for that matter, I guarantee you that I will be right in front of my TV, wearing a jersey, and proudly watching football, just like every week during the season.
My Dog, Kacey, And I Ready To Watch The Season Opener Together v.s. The Atlanta Falcons in 2017
When I started this website during Quarantine back in April, I had no clue how the season will shape out, and just like every sports fan out there, we have no clue what to expect this NFL season given the pandemic. But we are less than a week ‘till kickoff, and I am a happier person when football season is around. We may have no clue how long it will last, but for the time being, football is back, and my boys in navy blue and orange will thankfully be on TV again. Let us hope they prove me wrong and make me look like a complete idiot here; which I pray for.
If you read through this whole article, pat yourself on the back because you are a gem. While you are at it, please feel free to let me know what you think and tap the heart icon at the bottom, if you wish. Do not forget to stay tuned for my complete 2020 NFL predictions coming out before the NFL kickoff on Thursday.
Thank you and Bear Down!