What if the 2017 Chicago Bears Stay Healthy?
Everyone assumes the 2017 Chicago Bears will struggle with injuries again, but what if the key players stay on the field? How good could this team be?
The Chicago Bears 2016 season was one giant “what if.” While it appears the Bears may not have been ready to make the jump to a borderline playoff team, they certainly would have been better than the 3-13 record they produced had they managed to keep most of their key players healthy.
But the “what if” game doesn’t count. The Bears did suffera catastrophic number of injuries and the losses piled up because of it. Now we head into 2017 and most Bears fans seemed reserved to a doom and gloom attitude and assume that this team is going nowhere.
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Unfortunately, that may be the case, but it certainly isn’t a lock. No NFL team goes through a season without suffering injuries from time to time. Football is a violent sport and that’s the nature of the game. But if the Bears can keep most of their key players upright for 16 games (or close to it), how good can the 2017 Chicago Bears be? That answer starts on the defensive side of the ball.
If the defensive unit stays healthy, it will be formidable. The Bears have amassed enough talent to have a top ten squad, and if players stay on the field and develop, they could become a top 5 unit. The secondary certainly isn’t going to be confused with the Legion of Boom, but they can be solid. The Bears have signed enough young pieces to keep receivers covered for more than a few seconds, and while they don’t have a shutdown corner, they certainly have enough talent and depth now to keep receivers covered and turn the ball over occasionally.
What will keep the secondary sharp is pressure on the quarterback, and it’s time to recognize how good the front seven can be if they all stay on the field. A linebacking foursome of Leonard Floyd, Jerrell Freeman, Danny Trevathan and Pernell McPhee is lethal. Not to mention, Willie Young and Nick Kwiatkoski in sub-packages will keep playmakers on the field, even if all four starters aren’t. A healthy McPhee can dominate as we saw in 2015 and Leonard Floyd looks ready to terrorize NFC quarterbacks. Trevathan and Freeman in the middle both have coverage ability and can wrap up with the best in the league.
Up front, Eddie Goldman can be a dominant disruptive force, and we saw how good Akiem Hicks was last year. Imagine what Hicks can do if the full complement of talent is around him. At the other end spot, Jaye Howard can dominate when healthy and Jonathan Bullard could be a great piece if he makes the jump he’s expected to.
If the front seven is as good as it can be, it’ll make an average secondary well above average and make this defense one of the best in the league. If the defense is that strong, it’s hard to imagine the Bears have another pitiful season. But to avoid a repeat, it may start on the defensive side of the ball, but can the offense put the ball in the end zone?
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Certainly the Bears 2017 offense isn’t going to be mistaken for the Greatest Show on Turf but can they be average? Let’s start with an offensive line that is significantly better than it’s given credit for. Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and Josh Sitton give the Bears one of the top five interior offensive line units in the NFL. You can argue its top three, and might even be the best with a healthy Long and an improving Whitehair. The tackles certainly get pounded by critics, but how fair is that? Charles Leno probably won’t be in a Bears uniform after this year because another team is going to pay him handsomely. Fans want to crush Leno, but he’s carved out a nice career and is reliable, albeit not flashy at tackle. Bobby Massie got off to an atrocious start but finished the season as an asset in the run game and at least stopped embarrassing himself in pass pro. While the tackles could be better, they aren’t the abomination they are made out to be. This line will open holes for Jordan Howard and should keep Mike Glennon on his feet long enough to allow him to make some throws.
The Bears receivers and tight ends have a lot of health questions but if they are on the field, they’ll catch passes, no doubt about it. What if Kevin White and Zach Miller play 30+ games this year? While, I’m the first to admit that’s a long shot, if they do, that’ll be a huge plus us for Glennon. Combine that with Cameron Meredith and a healthy Victor Cruz and Glennon will have some weapons.
Chicago Bears
The Bears offense won’t be a juggernaut, but if healthy, they can keep the chains moving and keep the defense fresh. If that happens, the two units can work together and win football games.
The Bears schedule is hard, but if their defense is stout, they can keep them in games and hopefully get some early wins. Most people think the Bears jump out of the gate at a 2-8 clip (thereabouts) and bury themselves, but if the defense can navigate the schedule, the Bears could push to a 5-5 record and keep their head above water. At that point, the schedule lightens up and a 9-7 record isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Yes, a jump like this is unlikely, but before fans and experts cast the Bears aside as a walkover, they need to recognize what kind of talent is part of the front seven and what that talent can mean for the rest of the team.
A lot has to fall in place for the Bears to have a winning record but it’s not impossible. The truth is, it’s more important for the Bears to stay healthy so their young talent can develop, even so than it is important to win football games. But if this team stays healthy, especially on defense, with Vic Fangio pulling strings, the Bears are going to be in plenty of games in the fourth quarter. And after a 3-13 season, that’s all you can really ask for.