Chicago Bears: Week 1 Offensive, Defensive, and Rookie MVPs
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears Defensive MVP: Akiem Hicks
This ended up being the most difficult award to choose, and not in a good way. The truth is the Bears’ defense was underwhelming and had several costly breakdowns throughout. Khalil Mack was unusually quiet with only a single tackle. Roquan Smith led the team in tackles, with 10 total, but didn’t make any particularly noteworthy plays. Although there wasn’t a single superstar performance, there were still a few Bears defenders who made meaningful contributions.
Akiem Hicks was able to make an impact on the Bears defense
Veteran tackle Akiem Hicks made his presence felt throughout the game. Hicks was able to team up with Robert Quinn for the Bears’ only sack of the game and finished the game with three total tackles and two QB hits. This may not have been a monstrous performance statistically, but Hicks was able to eat up space in the middle of the field and played a big role in limiting the Rams rushing attack to only 3.7 yards per carry.
Akiem Hicks was good, but the Bears defense will need more players to step up
As nice as it was to see Hicks make an impact as he enters his age 32 season, it was also a reminder of how many more Bears defenders need to perform to get the Chicago defense back to an elite level. Hicks’ push upfront largely went unnoticed to the average viewer due to the constant lapses in coverage and missed tackles. Needless to say, the defense will have to make drastic improvements if the Bears want to make their third playoff appearance in four years.