These five keys are needed for the Chicago Bears to make a playoff run in 2020
When it comes to NFL teams making the playoffs, many factors come into play. Some teams completely dominate. Most teams fall somewhere in the middle as parity in the NFL is common. The Chicago Bears find themselves in the grouping of teams somewhere in the middle. The defense is elite, but the offense has been holding them back from becoming a dominant team.
One key that all NFL teams need in order to make the playoffs is good health. If a team loses one or more of its key role players than you can usually kiss the playoffs goodbye. The Bears lost some key players last year that ruined their chances.
Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith were the main names the team lost last year to injury. Kyle Long also saw his career end. Should they have played all 16 games, could the team have won a couple more games? Probably, but injuries are not one of my five keys. This is something every team must deal with every year and bringing it up is just an excuse. Granted, this season it could mean even more as the league deals with containing the spread of COVID-19.
Instead, my five keys deal with on-the-field performance and things within the players’ control. Injuries are not within most people’s control. The elbow injury that Hicks sustained, for example, was not within his control. In fact, only Long could be considered to have been dealing with “injury-prone” issues. Have I drilled home enough that injuries should not be used as a key to making the playoffs or an excuse for not making the playoffs? Good. Now onto the good stuff.