The time has come for the 2021 NFL season to kick off. For the Chicago Bears, they’ll have to wait until Sunday night to make their debut, but it might just be worth the wait.
A lot of fans are somewhat dreading Week 1 since Andy Dalton will be starting under center, but much can happen between now and Sunday night.
Heck, much can happen over the course of a season. Whether or not anybody is predicting the Bears will make a postseason run this season, we think it’s possible.
It’s only possible, however, if several things go right. I thought it would be appropriate to nail down 10 different keys or, milestones if you will, for the Bears to achieve their goal of making the playoffs this year. Let’s call them what they really are. They’re hot takes. And without further prolonging, let’s jump right in.
1. Justin Fields will take over no later than Week 2 for the Chicago Bears
It is the debate that has taken over Bears fandom since the day he was drafted, but Justin Fields’ impending regular-season debut is going to have the biggest impact on the team’s season.
Some have suggested that maybe in Week 4, following a likely loss to the Cleveland Browns and going into a divisional matchup with the Detroit Lions, would make a lot of sense. And it does.
But, as time wears on and we get closer to Week 1, the rumors and whispers grow stronger in favor of Fields taking over even sooner than that. In fact, there are a few respected people who believe Fields will come out of the tunnel starting following halftime in Week 1.
Would Dalton get beat up that badly against the Rams that Nagy would be forced to make a switch? It’s possible, and if it happens, the Bears will never look back. With Fields under center, the entire season changes for the better. With Fields under center, the defense can be more aggressive, thus creating more takeaways. With Fields under center, the opposition has to game plan for a much more diversified offense.
With Fields under center, the Bears are off and running towards a playoff berth this season.