As we hit the mid-way point, Khalil Mack still earns defensive MVP despite not showing up in certain games for the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears elite defense has not looked great in the last couple of weeks. Are they wearing down because of the offensive struggles or hurting with injuries to guys like Akiem Hicks? The team was likely to regress statistically from last year. The defense put up historic type numbers in 2018. This year, the Chicago Bears defense is still better than good, but no longer elite.
In the last game, the Bears let up two long drives that led to touchdowns. The first coming after halftime. Therefore, the whole argument about the defense being tired does not hold up here. One of the reasons the team is struggling is because Akiem Hicks is out with an injury. If the team is out of the playoff hunt come December, then Hicks probably will not come back this year.
Picking Khalil Mack was not as easy as picking Allen Robinson as the offensive MVP through eight games. There were a few other guys who have been deserving. Most notably Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Kyle Fuller and Danny Trevathan. Only one of these three can be the runner-up though.
Runner-up
Danny Trevathan gets the vote for mid-season runner-up on the defensive side of the ball. Trevathan is in a contract year and has been one of the most consistent players on the Bears defense. He leads the team with 48 solo tackles. He also has a forced fumble and a sack. The closest player to him in solo tackles is Fuller with 40. Trevathan has 67 combined tackles also and the closest to him is Roquan Smith with 56.
What is unfortunate is that the Chicago Bears are unlikely to be able to keep Trevathan after this season. With how well Trevathan is playing, he will command a great amount of money. Money is something the Chicago Bears do not have an abundance of in 2020. Ryan Pace will have to make some tough decisions on personnel if he plans on retaining Trevathan’s services beyond 2019.
Mid-season Defensive MVP
As one of the highest-paid defensive lineman in the NFL, Khalil Mack is expected to perform better than just about anyone on the football field. Seeing his performance in some games makes this award seem less deserving. That said, we must realize just how teams are taking him out. With Akiem Hicks not on the field, Mack is often double and triple-teamed.
Within the first four games of the year, Mack recorded four forced fumbles and 4.5 sacks. He instantly cooled off after that. As I pointed out, those first four games were with Akiem Hicks. Since Hicks went down, Mack has only recorded one sack and a fumble recovery.
That said, he has impacted the game more than anyone has on defense. He has 28 solo tackles, five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits. Without Hicks, Mack is going to struggle to find a way to bring consistent pressure. However, he is still deserving of the mid-season defensive MVP award. Can he keep it throughout the back-half of the season too? Only time will tell.
This defense will need to pick things back up if they want to be able to cover for the offensive struggles and hopefully string together some important wins.