TRU DETECTIVES
Our experts analyze evidence Bears, Trubisky left behind after resurgent season
The Sun-Times’ Bears experts — Adam L. Jahns, Patrick Finley and Mark Potash — analyze the most important aspects of the Bears’ 2018 season and look at what’s ahead:
Matt Nagy’s first season was . . .
JAHNS: An extremely encouraging step forward. Whether it was establishing his “be obsessed” culture, challenging the defensive players or developing quarterback Mitch Trubisky, Nagy pushed a lot of the right buttons. His first year still had its share of learning experiences. Navigating the loss of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be a new one, too. But Nagy is an NFL Coach of the Year candidate for many reasons.
FINLEY: Fun. He went 12-4 in the regular season and
changed the culture of a franchise that had seemed lost for so long. He threw postgame dance parties and passes to backup tackles. What’s not to love? Oh, yeah: that playoff game. A wild-card loss notwithstanding, Nagy could be Coach of the Year.
POTASH: Better than expected, despite the stain at the end. Nagy gave the Bears the offensive boost they were looking for. What we didn’t know was how good of a head coach he would be — and he was outstanding. In every facet of the job, Nagy never looked like a rookie. Without laying a hand on Vic Fangio’s defense, he commanded respect and helped spur that side of the ball to elite status.
What I liked about Mitch Trubisky’s season:
JAHNS: Beyond improving in every major statistical category from his rookie season, his improvement in handling the big moments of big games is noteworthy. Three performances stand out: the NFC North-clinching win against the Packers in Week 15, the go-for-the-kill victory against the Vikings in Week 17 and his fourthquarter success in the wild-card loss against the Eagles.
FINLEY: The fourth quarter of the most important game of his life. In the final 15 minutes against the Eagles, he completed 6 of 10 passes for 115 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 137.5. Had Cody Parkey made his field goal, Trubisky’s final drive would have been the story of the game, if not the season.
POTASH: Trubisky showed the ability to be prolific when the offense is in a groove. He was better against the Packers and Vikings the second time around and did not throw an interception in his last four games. He established himself as the singular leader of the team.
What I didn’t like about Trubisky’s season:
JAHNS: A feeling that more should have been accomplished. Perhaps that’s what happens when Trubisky plays in the same NFL as Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. But each quarterback has his own path. Trubisky’s 95.4 passer rating ranked 16th, but it’s better than Jay Cutler’s career-best mark of 92.3. Despite Trubisky’s struggles, a new standard has been set. Let’s see what’s next.
FINLEY: The first three quarters of the most important game of his life. Through 25 minutes against the Eagles, Trubisky completed 20 of 33 passes for 188 yards, no scores and a 76.3 passer rating. He had one interception overturned by replay, and other would-be picks were dropped. He has a lot of room to grow.
POTASH: It seems like the offense lifts him, rather than the other way around. Didn’t show enough of the “it” factor. Puts himself at risk of injury too often.
Losing Vic Fangio will ...
JAHNS: Cause the Bears to miss him, but he’ll ultimately prove to be replaceable. There will be a transition period for new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, but the personnel of the Bears’ defense is too good for a major letdown. The unit is also full of veterans who will help hold the group to the high standards Fangio established this season. Linebacker Roquan Smith also appears poised for stardom.
FINLEY: Sting. In building the Bears’ defense from the ground up, Fangio developed players individually and the unit as a whole. And his players loved him.
POTASH: Be a shock to the Bears’ system at first but shouldn’t take too much of the bite out of the defense (if any at all) under Pagano, a respected veteran coach who will know not to mess too much with a good thing. With only Prince Amukamara reaching age 30 before next season, this defense is loaded with players still improving (the average age of the top 15 players in snaps is 26.2). There’s room for growth, which could compensate for losing Fangio’s leadership.
My 2018 Bears MVP is . . .
JAHNS: Linebacker Khalil Mack.
His arrival had a ripple effect; the entire defense improved because of what he provides. And the intangible part of his arrival shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s not a vocal leader, but his acquisition put everyone in the NFL on notice that the Bears wanted to win now.
FINLEY: Mack. His acquisition changed the trajectory of the franchise. Then he did one of the most difficult things in sports: He lived up to the hype. He missed two games, was hampered in two more and still finished with 12 ½ sacks. That’s the most for a Bears player not named Richard Dent.
POTASH: Mack. Like Nagy, he had an unexpectedly exponential effect on the team, raising the bar for other defensive players on the field and off.
My underrated hero is . . .
JAHNS: Receiver Allen Robinson. He didn’t put up No. 1 receiver numbers during the regular season (55 catches, 754 yards and four touchdowns), but he still showed he can be a top threat. The Eagles couldn’t contain him in the playoff game.
FINLEY: Defensive end Akiem Hicks is overlooked only when compared to his cohorts on defense, three of whom — Mack, cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson — were named first-team AP All-Pros. Hicks thought he had a better season in 2017, but he dominated this year, despite playing 228 more snaps than the next-busiest defensive lineman on the team.
POTASH: Nose tackle Eddie Goldman. Fangio said the way to measure Goldman’s impact is the run game. The Bears were first in rushing yards allowed per game (80.0), fourth in yards per carry (3.8) and first in negative rushes (63 over 339 rushes, the second-fewest in the league).
As for Cody Parkey, I would ...
JAHNS: Eat what’s left of his guaranteed money and move on. Kickers can redeem themselves, but for his own good, it might be best to keep him out of Bourbonnais, where fans will be right on top of him in camp. His appearance on NBC’s “Today” only made matters worse.
FINLEY: Go find a new kicker. Parkey had the worst field-goal percentage of anyone with 30 or more attempts this season. That was unacceptable even before he double-doinked last Sunday’s potential game-winner. The Bears have to pay Parkey either way, so you could make an argument for him competing with another kicker in camp. But what established kicker would sign with the Bears to be one of two? A divorce is probably best for both Parkey and the Bears.
POTASH: Let the dust settle, see what options exist and consider giving Parkey a chance to prove himself in training camp, with competition. It’s rare for a kicker with Parkey’s baggage to rejuvenate his career without a change of scenery. But based on general manager Ryan Pace’s history, there’s no guarantee he’ll find the right guy. And the salary-cap outlay of cutting Parkey and signing someone like Robbie Gould is not quite prohibitive but close to it.
The biggest challenge next season will be . . .
JAHNS: Handling expectations. That, of course, starts with Nagy and his work with Trubisky. The Bears’ first-place schedule will be easier to handle if Trubisky takes the next steps in his development.
FINLEY: The first-place schedule. In addition to their NFC North slate, the Bears will host the Chiefs, Chargers, Saints, Cowboys and Giants. They’ll travel to play the Rams, Eagles, Redskins, Raiders and Broncos. Last season proved that guessing which teams will be good is a fool’s errand. Still, at least in January, that’s one intimidating lineup.
POTASH: Besides settling the kicker situation, staying as healthy as they were in 2018, adjusting to a new defensive coordinator, taking a giant leap on offense and playing a tougher first-place schedule, they have the challenge of meeting expectations with a playoff run. The Bears have to take their entire game to another level in 2019.