Five Reasons Chicago Bears are contenders

The Chicago Bears are here to stay. Here is why

As the Chicago Bears sit at 3-1 during their bye week, some fans may not be sure whether to jump all in on this team or not. Are the Chicago Bears for real? Is it too early to tell? Have no fear Bears fans, this team is for real, and they are not going anywhere.

Here are the five reasons to buy into the Chicago Bears as a contending team in 2018

1. Defense wins championships

Yes, the old cliche. However, when it comes to a one-game scenario in a do or die situation, the better defense is the side you want to have. Of 52 Super Bowls played, the better defense has won 33 of those games.

When looking through defensive ratings over the first four weeks, the Chicago Bears rank number one. DVOA adjusts defensive ratings for opponents and skews it to a play by play basis. DVOA says that no defense has been more efficient than the Chicago Bears so far.

The number one defense has made their respected conference championship in four of their last five seasons. This includes the 2015 Denver Broncos who won the Super Bowl. In 2014, the Seattle Seahawks had the number one defense in the NFL and made the Super Bowl. They also ranked number one in their Super Bowl win. The Carolina Panthers finished fourth in DVOA the year they made the Super Bowl.

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings led the NFL in DVOA, and the Jacksonville Jaguars ranked second. Both teams played on Championship Weekend.

When looking at the Chicago Bears defense, if they stay healthy, they are not going to fall off of their rank. They rank first in the NFL in sack rate but also are blitzing amongst the least in the NFL. They are getting home with four and getting coverage in the back end. Leonard Floyd has yet to come on as a pass rusher, and Khalil Mack is still fresh in this scheme.

If this is the tip of the iceberg, the Chicago Bears are going to have consistent playoff runs like the Seahawks defense who has recently dominated DVOA rankings.