Predict the Bears Record... Mid-offseason version

[Mikefive]

The draft is now behind us and so is FA for the most part. Predict the Bears season record and discuss.

We were 12-4 last year.

[Mikefive]

I said 11-5. But I considered 10-6. Here's why...

Many negative factors to consider this year...
1. New defensive coach and philosophy. Sure, we're still a 3-4 team. But will that work as spectacularly well as it did with Fangio, his style and knowledge of the players?
2. First place schedule. I don't tend to emphasize that as much as others. But on paper, our schedule looks pretty formidable.
3. Injuries. We were super healthy last year. What happens when the injury bug bites us?
4. A weak year for new additions. No R1 or R2 picks. Not much in FA. But most other teams did.

On the positive side...
1. Biscuit is another year older, more experienced and not changing systems again.
2. Nagy now has a year of HC experience and moves forward with offense v2.0.
3. New RB group--principally with DM--may operate more effectively with pieces that fit better.

As I was pondering this, it was a coin flip pre-draft between 10 and 11 wins, knowing we had limited draft choices. But honestly, getting David Montgomery at the plug and play RB position bumps me to 11 wins. Signing Piniero doesn't hurt either. Maybe I'm just drinking the koolaid.

[wab]

I expect the offense to take up any slack that the defense may experience early in the year. I think it'll take a month or so for the defense to round into form.

As always, there's factors to consider but 11-5 feels right.

[thunderspirit]

I am notoriously bad at this...

I11-5 feels right.

...but this is cosigned.

[Magpie1985]

The smart money would be on 10-6 but my gut feeling is telling me we go 13-3 and lock up the 2nd seed in the NFC. I know pundits and fans alike feel a regression in the defence but I think with a more agressive Pagano along with a 2nd year Smith and Ha Ha and Eddie spells even more turnovers!!
Also I think no 10 makes another jump and this offence will be top ten!! I can never remember such a team spirit with both offence and defence dping their piece for the team following Da Bearz.

[malk]

The off season is the time for optimism so...

Trubisky comes into his own with; a full offseaon in the same system; more, much needed for him, experience; more familiarity with his weapons.
The running backs are better suited for Nagy, even if just in Nagy's mind. That alone will improve his playcalling a little.
The game is going to slow down for Nagy as a head coach and I'm expecting better adjustments.
The defence will actually suit Pagano's extra aggression and it will compensate for losing Amos and Callahan.
Mack in game shape from game 1! No hold out from Smith!

You can look at the schedule and think, oh they look tough, don't want to travel there... Nope. Every single team we play sees us on the schedule and wishes we weren't there. We're good enough now that it isn't about them, its about us.

14-2 and in week 15 there will be talk of if we'll sweep the division.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

OK. I'm going full meatball on this. Another year in the same offense, with a better fit at RB, and a healthy Miller. A healthy OL with Whitehair and Daniels swapping spots. A defense with a healthy Floyd, and an improvement at S with Ha-Ha Clinton Dix. A more aggressive DC.

This is going to be a fun year. The only two losses will be to the Chargers and the Chiefs.

[malk]

OK. I'm going full meatball on this. Another year in the same offense, with a better fit at RB, and a healthy Miller. A healthy OL with Whitehair and Daniels swapping spots. A defense with a healthy Floyd, and an improvement at S with Ha-Ha Clinton Dix. A more aggressive DC.

This is going to be a fun year. The only two losses will be to the Chargers and the Chiefs.

[IotaNet]

11-5 feels right.

... but this is cosigned.

Agreed.

... You can look at the schedule and think, oh they look tough, don't want to travel there... Nope. Every single team we play sees us on the schedule and wishes we weren't there. We're good enough now that it isn't about them, its about us ...

This for sure.

Its gonna be a fun year.

[southdakbearfan]

16-0 or 11-5. voted for 11-5 but my gut says 16-0 right now.

[AZ_Bearfan]

19-0.

I swim in the Kool-Aid.

[Boris13c]

11-5 and deep into the playoffs

[Otis Day]

10-6. A few more stumbles this year. They have some tougher competition and I believe there will be a little more adversity introduced this year (injuries, players under performing).

[Mikefive]

Lemme get this straight... Nobody think's we're gonna be the same 12-4 as last year?

[Richie]

11-5 seems about right. I was torn between that and 10-6. Schedule should be a little tougher (obviously things change, though).

If there's one thing that won't go as smoothly as last season? It has to be injuries. We were very fortunate on that front. I suppose we were due after the way this decade had been going on that front.

[BR0D1E86]

11-5 seems about right. I was torn between that and 10-6. Schedule should be a little tougher (obviously things change, though).

If there's one thing that won't go as smoothly as last season? It has to be injuries. We were very fortunate on that front. I suppose we were due after the way this decade had been going on that front.

Were we? We didn’t have tons of injuries, but the ones we had were pretty critical players. Mack was hobbled for over a quarter of the season, Trubisky missed two games, ARob was hurt, Miller was never healthy, Long missed most of the season. It’s not like pst years where half the team was injured, but you couldn’t have picked more critical players to lose for us.

[Richie]

11-5 seems about right. I was torn between that and 10-6. Schedule should be a little tougher (obviously things change, though).

If there's one thing that won't go as smoothly as last season? It has to be injuries. We were very fortunate on that front. I suppose we were due after the way this decade had been going on that front.

Were we? We didn’t have tons of injuries, but the ones we had were pretty critical players. Mack was hobbled for over a quarter of the season, Trubisky missed two games, ARob was hurt, Miller was never healthy, Long missed most of the season. It’s not like pst years where half the team was injured, but you couldn’t have picked more critical players to lose for us.

Mack was hobbled for MIA and NE and then missed two games. Miller played banged up. That's football.

Long always misses most of the season, so I don't really take that into the equation. Plus, his replacement did quite well.

Our starting D was healthy the entire year save a few combined games from Jackson and Mack. That is absolutely UNHEARD of.

The vast majority of the season our inactives was basically vacant of starters, minus Long. Then a combined handful of games with Robinson, Jackson and Mack. Trubisky missed two. A lot of times when we sat guys, it seemed somewhat or even 100% precautionary too. Robinson seemed like he would have played vs MIN if it mattered. Mack likely plays the weeks he missed vs NYJ and at BUF if it's a divisional game. All reports were that Trubisky could have played vs DET/NYG if it was a playoff game.

I think I read we had the least amount of missed games by starters. Hell... even missing Jackson/Burton for the playoff game... we bitch about that. That's how good our fortune was. We felt like the world had collapsed because we were missing TWO STARTERS. Think about that for a second, in comparison to what the majority of the league is dealing with come December and January.

Come on man. There's no way to paint it differently. We had great fortune.

[thunderspirit]

Lemme get this straight... Nobody think's we're gonna be the same 12-4 as last year?

Nope. I'd lean toward 10-6 before I'd go back to 12 wins.