The Chicago Bears had such high hopes coming into the year but things did not pan out. That said, one offensive player and one defensive player stood out. Who were they and what did they do to make this year so special?
The Chicago Bears had a disappointing season, it is true. It was thought that this year would be one where they made it to the Super Bowl and won. It was not meant to be, however, as the Bears came down to earth and failed to make the playoffs.
Now you can bet that they will be trying their hardest to earn themselves a playoff berth next year and to do that, they are going to need good players. They have some good ones on both sides of the ball but there are two, in particular, that stand out and give the Bears their best chance of winning.
Those two players were Allen Robinson and Akiem Hicks. Robinson is a no brainer but what about Hicks? He barely played this season, right? Well, a player can have an impact on a team even if they aren’t playing. Let us find out why.
Akiem Hicks can be labeled as the Bears’ best defensive player healthy or not. What he does is forces defenses to pay attention and devote blockers to him. This allows guys like Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd to reach the quarterback thanks to the extra blockers being absorbed by a guy like Hicks. He was also a playmaker who could fight through the blocks and get to the quarterback or slide off those blocks and tackle the running back.
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We all saw what happened to the Bears after Hicks got injured. The defense suffered. Both the rushing defense struggled and the pass defense was less than stellar. You can bet that Hicks’ absence had something to do with that.
A fully healthy and ready-to-go Hicks is going to do a lot of damage on defense for the Bears and could bring them back to prominence. Here is hoping for a strong and healthy 2020 campaign for the Bears’ best player on defense in 2019.
There is no question that Robinson was the offensive MVP this past season. With the running game stalled and the quarterback position floundering, the Bears got a lot of great play out of Robinson. His stats for the year are pretty solid for a Bears’ team that struggled on offense almost all year. Robinson had a total of 98 catches on 154 targets. He had 1174 yards averaging 11.7 yards per catch with seven touchdowns.
Robinson was quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s go-to guy when it mattered most catching passes for first downs constantly while bailing the quarterback out of tight spots. Robinson was a little shaky at times catching the ball but for the most part, he was reliable and just what the Bears need at the wide receiver position.
Just think where they were a few short seasons ago having hardly anyone on the roster that was a capable starting wide receiver. Now they have Robinson, one of the best in the league.
The future is bright for both Hicks and Robinson. Hicks has some healing up to do but should be ready to go by the time next season starts. Robinson could use a long-term contract to help keep him locked in and ready to play in Chicago for a long time. These guys are what’s right about the Bears and are the building blocks for a future championship.