3 positives and 3 negatives from the Chicago Bears 2023 season
Positive: The team was competitive until the end
The Chicago Bears were in the playoff mix until Week 17, which is a farcry from where the team was a year ago. The team got 2 wins in the NFC North after getting 0 in 2022. The Bears also won 5 of their last 8 games.
Had the Bears been able to find any consistency earlier in the season, they'd be a playoff team right now. Beating the Broncos or Vikings earlier in the season and then winning the finale gets the team in the playoffs. Still, not many considered this team a playoff contender, so it has to be a positive that they even got close to the postseason.
Negative: The pass rush struggled once again
In 2022, the Bears finished last in sacks per game with just 1.2. Jaquan Brisker, a safety, led the team with 4 sacks. In 2023, the Bears were 31st in sacks per game and were led by Montez Sweat, who had 6.
feed
Keep in mind, Sweat was traded for at the deadline and played in just 9 games for the Bears. If not for Sweat, the Bears would have comfortably had the worst pass rush in the league again. Eberflus, as a defensive mind, needs to figure out a way to generate pressure. It's now a trend that the Bears routinely struggle to get to the QB.