Chicago Bears Week One Takeaways

That loss was disheartening, there’s no getting around it. However, better days are ahead Chicago Bears fans.

When you walked out of whatever home or establishment you viewed the Sunday night primetime game, it was impossible not to feel the somber aura that resonated throughout the city.

In what would have been a promising start to the season turned out to be a disappointing loss from the hands of none other than Aaron Rodgers.

While there were certainly some bad moments in the opener such as the late-game playcalling, the positive aspects outweighed the negatives.

Here are some takeaways from week one:

1. Khalil Mack Worth The Investment

Prior to Sunday night’s primetime showdown, the main storyline was how effective could Khalil Mack be after missing the entire 2018 offseason workouts.

It just so happens that in his return to football Mack had one of the best games since, well, Khalil Mack in 2016.

Mack totaled three tackles, one pass defended, one sack, a forced fumble with a recovery, and one defensive touchdown.

Remember that Mack for DPOY narrative?

The Chicago Bears dropped the ball with this game…literally. What should give Bears fans faith is that the presence of Mack makes this defense one of the top in the NFL. The Bears totaled four sacks on Sunday and besides Akiem Hicks‘ sack-fumble, the other three were a direct result of Khalil’s pressure that he generates.

In fact, on Roquan Smith‘s first snap in his NFL career, he was able to bide his time and get to Deshone Kizer due to the pressure Kizer felt on the left side of the line by Khalil Mack.

Now imagine instances where the Bears are playing a weaker offensive line and a quarterback not the caliber of Aaron Rodgers. I’m thinking week two against the Seattle Seahawks. Not because of Russel Wilson- he’s amazing- but because that Seattle offensive line is a project.

The issues with the Bears in the second half were due to both poor conditioning and costly coverage mistakes by the secondary. Fangio also stopped sending pressure at Rodgers which is confusing considering Rodgers’ mobility was compromised after leaving on a cart in the first half. Missed tackles were a problem as the team wore down but I expect that to be coached out in the coming games.

In the future when Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith are no longer on snap counts and have established some type of rapport with their teammates, this Bears defense will be elite.