Initial 2020 Bears record prediction

[Mikefive]

OK, the draft is over. And although there's still post-draft signings as well as TC cutdown/pickups and potential injuries ahead, we have a pretty good idea what our team and others are going to look like.

Since we now have little to do (with minicamps in serious jeopardy) until TC starts at the end of July, it's time to lay down that first prediction of our record in the upcoming season.

Note that the NFL sticks with the 16 game regular season in 2020.

Answer the poll and explain your answer.

[Mikefive]

My prediction... 11.

I think our defense is going to be really good and we'll ride them to the playoffs. Offense will still be a work in progress, however.

I have many questions about the offense and I'm not so optimistic about them.
- OL should be improved, but not by that much.
- I think 10 will start and be only marginally better than last year.
- TEs have a big learning curve, so to expect Kmet to hit the ground running is not very realistic.
- Our O will have to adjust to be a bit more of a chains mover with slower skill players in larger roles. Don't have great faith in Nagy adjusting to that.
- Think Foles takes over at some point and provides a lift.

[wulfy]

9

I think they will be somewhat better than last year, but not significantly.

[Richie]

11 as well. I think the D remains elite and will actually be better with a healthy Hicks (among others).

I think the offensive line improves back to respectable form and that Nick Foles (or an improved/invigorated Mitch) makes our QB play serviceable enough to win a few more games.

I think a boost for us is also that our division is getting a bit weaker. The core that Minny built in the mid 10's is eroding and Rodgers decline is undeniable, at this point. GB also loses Martinez, Graham and didn't address a few glaring needs. Targets in the passing game being one of them. That was the luckiest team I have ever seen last year. A 9-10 win caliber team, in reality last season and they didn't get better.

Minnesota just does nothing to inspire me of being able to take the next step forward. That team with Cousins just screams "perennial WC contender" until the end of time.

Detroit is actually a team that may be better than some believe. That was NOT a bad team, by any stretch before Stafford (among many others) went down.

[wab]

I think if Patricia can figure out how to coach himself out of a wet paper bag, they could contend for the division. Minny will be ok as per usual because Zimmer is a good coach.

This may actually be the year that GB implodes.

As far as the Bears go, it's hard to say...but I think if the defense plays as well as we expect and if (BIG IF) the offense can run the ball and control the clock... the Bears could win somewhere between 10-12 games. I chose 10, because my confidence is teetering.

But... if there's a back and forth QB thing all season and the running game continues to suck, the Bears are in trouble again.

[AZ_Bearfan]

I'm hoping all the change on the offensive side of the ball lift that unit up to be mediocre at least. It's all we need to make a serious run. The defense is going to be out of this world this season and just needs the offense to not shit the bed for the first half of every game. 12 wins.

[UOK]

I feel very little about the Bears this season. Feels like nothing good is on the horizon, particularly because Trubisky's days are quite obviously numbered, the offensive line is hanging on by a thread, and there's a lot of unprovens that will need to handle major roles at safety, corner, and linebacker, among other positions. There's not many players on the roster that one would consider dominant on the NFL level, but the team isn't some fiery wreck, either. They seem to be, as of now, an unpredictable lot that are shaky in positions where you'd much prefer stability and leadership.

9 wins, being generous. More realistic is between 5 or 7 wins.

[wab]

I want them to either win it all or win none. For Trevor Lawrence reasons.

[dplank]

I went for a full on Beardude 10-6...Book it!

I think last year's setback is not who we are as a team, I believe we are more like the 2018 Bears than the 2019 Bears. Hicks injury really, really hurt our defense, and Floyd sucked IMO - Mack and Goldman paid the price as they got doubled and tripled routinely. Hicks returns and Quinn steps in for Floyd, and I see greatness for this defense. I can see a 12-4 season as a real possibility. Couple injuries though, and I don't think Pagano is a good enough DC to overcome it, and we could see 2019 all over again.

On the other side, Foles will start sooner rather than later IMO and will stabilize our QB play. He'll make quicker, smarter reads which will make our porous OL pass pro look better than it is. Our rushing attack will still struggle though, we just don't have anything up front to see that improve in any meaningful way. I think we'll still be bottom third, but more like 20th instead of 29th like last year.

That small increase from our offense coupled with a big improvement from our defense brings us back into the playoffs IMO.

[dplank]

I feel very little about the Bears this season. Feels like nothing good is on the horizon, particularly because Trubisky's days are quite obviously numbered, the offensive line is hanging on by a thread, and there's a lot of unprovens that will need to handle major roles at safety, corner, and linebacker, among other positions. There's not many players on the roster that one would consider dominant on the NFL level, but the team isn't some fiery wreck, either. They seem to be, as of now, an unpredictable lot that are shaky in positions where you'd much prefer stability and leadership.

9 wins, being generous. More realistic is between 5 or 7 wins.

Who's unproved at LB? We have the best LB corps in the NFL IMO....odd thing to be concerned about.

[Mikefive]

I feel very little about the Bears this season. Feels like nothing good is on the horizon, particularly because Trubisky's days are quite obviously numbered, the offensive line is hanging on by a thread, and there's a lot of unprovens that will need to handle major roles at safety, corner, and linebacker, among other positions. There's not many players on the roster that one would consider dominant on the NFL level, but the team isn't some fiery wreck, either. They seem to be, as of now, an unpredictable lot that are shaky in positions where you'd much prefer stability and leadership.

9 wins, being generous. More realistic is between 5 or 7 wins.

That's harsh, man. One player makes us instantly better than last year... Robert Quinn. Having a 2-sided pass rush is going to make a massive turnover difference to that defense. And on top of that, we're getting Hicks back and EJax returns to play center field where he's a TO machine. And keep in mind that our offense wasn't good in '18 when we won 12 games.

[UOK]

Who's unproved at LB? We have the best LB corps in the NFL IMO....odd thing to be concerned about.

Outside of Mack there's some real concerns.

Quinn's history in the 3-4 has been not good at all. Trevathan's injury history concerns the hell out of me. Mingo's been kind of mediocre. Iyiegbuniwe's been just okay on ST and hasn't stood out at all as a linebacker. Roquan Smith is good, but if he has another random episode and misses needless games, you gotta wonder where his head's at. Irving is a preseason hero, Gipson's a rookie, Woods and Vaughters are okay, but not much more.

There's definitely talent there, and the LB room isn't some bleak, broken group by any means. I just don't see it as optimistically, I suppose.

That's harsh, man. One player makes us instantly better than last year... Robert Quinn. Having a 2-sided pass rush is going to make a massive turnover difference to that defense. And on top of that, we're getting Hicks back and EJax returns to play center field where he's a TO machine. And keep in mind that our offense wasn't good in '18 when we won 12 games.

Quinn's going to need some help, and it's by no means going to work. They'll have to accommodate the defense, and virtually play him like a 4-3 end. Hopefully Pagano's willing to flub up his scheme to best suit the guy they just paid the shit out of.

Robert Quinn's experience playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense is limited and not very successful.

The Bears know this, and after signing Quinn to a five-year, $70 million deal, they could be expected to limit the amount of movement he does in the defense until he's more comfortable.

Quinn sees ways he can succeed as a 3-4 edge rusher, but it's going to require Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to make some adjustments.

"The only thing that was challenging about the 3-4, if you look at my career, I've never really played the left side," Quinn said. "So I mean, I think we've got a comfortable understanding that hopefully I get to stay on the right side.

"If we've got to flip-flop, I guess I've got to get more comfortable playing on the left. As I get older, I realize that you've got to be a little multi-talented, or be able to change."

https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/rober ... right-side

[The Grizzly One]

I feel very little about the Bears this season. Feels like nothing good is on the horizon, particularly because Trubisky's days are quite obviously numbered, the offensive line is hanging on by a thread, and there's a lot of unprovens that will need to handle major roles at safety, corner, and linebacker, among other positions. There's not many players on the roster that one would consider dominant on the NFL level, but the team isn't some fiery wreck, either. They seem to be, as of now, an unpredictable lot that are shaky in positions where you'd much prefer stability and leadership.

9 wins, being generous. More realistic is between 5 or 7 wins.

That's harsh, man. One player makes us instantly better than last year... Robert Quinn. Having a 2-sided pass rush is going to make a massive turnover difference to that defense. And on top of that, we're getting Hicks back and EJax returns to play center field where he's a TO machine. And keep in mind that our offense wasn't good in '18 when we won 12 games.

Got to give you big thumbs up for that response.

[The Grizzly One]

I am in a bit of cool-aid mode here I know....BUT:

13 wins and an NFC Championship at least.

Foles will take over very soon. (Relief games 1 and 2) Starter game 3. And he will be better than OK which for this team will be GREAT!

[wab]

On the other side, Foles will start sooner rather than later IMO and will stabilize our QB play. He'll make quicker, smarter reads which will make our porous OL pass pro look better than it is.

I think scheme is going to do more for the OL than Foles.

I remember reading that Mitch had one of the lowest time to throw numbers in the NFL. Quicker reads might help some, but it wasn't that Mitch was taking too long.

[spudbear]

Ouch UOK - 5 to 7 wins realistic? Wish I could mail you some blue-orange koolaid, but apparently the next batch is going to take awhile to whip up if the NFL delays the start of TC, let alone no offseason workouts.

Will we see a return of the 46 defense, when it was apply hellacious pressure to the opposing QB? Maybe a modified version, the "52" defense will strike fear into QB's hearts. I expect the Bears offense to improve simply by having a QB that makes good decisions. Whether that is Foles or a rejuvenated/trained Trubisky remains to be seen.

Difficult to guess number of wins without a schedule, as the Bears could use an easy start rather than an easy finish to the season with the new faces on O. I'll still say 11 W's.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

I said 10. I don't think we'll have a full season though. TC will start in Sept, and a half season will go from Oct. - Dec., playoffs as usual.

[southdakbearfan]

At least I won't have to watch our first round "pass coverage" linebacker get within 3 yards of a QB and hear someone talk about him breaking out, he's so close.

Seriously, this time of year for a prediction 15=1. Trubisky get's dinged one game and foles screws up the perfect season with 3 picks and breaks his collarbone.

[crueltyabc]

I was hoping I could come in here and say the offense was going to be much better without Long or Coward at guard, but I don't have much more confidence in the players they brought in. I like Foles OK. The offensive skill positions are OK. I don't think 9 or 10 wins is out of the question but I think 8-8 is most likely. This isn't a super bowl team, and it's not a young enough team that I'm excited about ascension.

[GSH]

10 wins:

@Falcons - W
@Panthers - W
Lions - W
Packers - W
Vikings -W
Saints -L
Bucs - L
Texans - L
Colts - W
Giants - W
@Lions -W
@Packers - L
@Jags - W
@Rams - W
@Vikings - L
@Titans - L

[Middleguard]

I think the defense continues to decline because Hicks will never be the same. The offense will be different, but not much better. Unless the Titans want to rest all their starters like the Vikings did last year, the Bears won't make 8-8 again next year.
Actually, they probably can't go 8-8 because they won't play a full schedule. I think 7-8.

[Yogi da Bear]

16-0 as always. Just can't predict a Bear loss. I'm not built that way.

Incidentally, I keep telling y'all. Quinn is a going to be a DE not an OLB. We want to send him and Mack at the same time as much as possible. You can't do that without blitzing if Quinn's an OLB. Not only that, but Quinn is much better with his hand in the dirt. If you turn him into an OLB you nullify his first step advantage.

[Moriarty]

Predictions were almost all 9-11 wins, with 10 being the clear average/median

Being off by 2 full games, poster were either being too homery or this team underachieved

[crueltyabc]

I was hoping I could come in here and say the offense was going to be much better without Long or Coward at guard, but I don't have much more confidence in the players they brought in. I like Foles OK. The offensive skill positions are OK. I don't think 9 or 10 wins is out of the question but I think 8-8 is most likely. This isn't a super bowl team, and it's not a young enough team that I'm excited about ascension.

I was the only one who got it right.

[DevilsProspect]

The optimism was amazing. Lol

[Z Bear]

Homery.... we beat Tampa but should not have then lost to Detroit when we should of won. it is pretty typically to drop one you should win and win one you should lose, so the Bears are an 8-8 middle of the pack team.

[Burl]

Just filled out the poll now and I got it right!

[Ormazd]

I missed this the first time.

I'm gonna guess 8.

[Mikefive]

These things are good to revisit. Jeez was I wrong. I won't be voting for 11 in 2021 no matter who we sign, draft or trade for. Trends seem to matter more than I've thought the last 2 years.

[UOK]

I'd like to point out that I was basically spot on with all of my thoughts.