4 reasons the Chicago Bears can turn this season around starting against Detroit

Many fans will tell you that Justin Fields is the future of the Chicago Bears. While I am still not 100% convinced by this theory, the next seven games are the perfect opportunity for Fields to demonstrate he is a franchise quarterback.

That all starts this Sunday against the 7-2 NFC North Leaders the Detroit Lions. Undoubtedly a difficult proposition for this Bears team, the Lions have bested the Bears in their last two meetings, most recently defeating the Bears in a resounding 41-10 victory in January.

But how can the Bears turn this around I hear you ask? What has changed since Fields has been injured that tells you that things are going to be different when he returns? Well, let’s discuss that…

The Chicago Bears defense is a different animal than it was early on

In the first 6 games of the season, the Chicago Bears gave up an average of 29.33 points per game and 356.83 total yards per game. In the last 4 weeks, this has significantly decreased to an average of 19.75 points per game and 275.5 total yards per game.

A combination of players returning from injury and the addition of Montez Sweat has led people to ask if this Bears defense is actually much better than we had hoped it would become this year.

Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson have become much more impactful, while Montez Sweat has exemplified a huge jump in pass rush ability, which inevitably improves the chances of success for the players around him and those in the backfield.

Regardless of anything else, it is just common sense to say that if your defense can stop the other team from scoring as many points, it gives you a much better chance of winning. If things continue as they have the last few weeks, then the defense could very well make up for the letdown of the first few games of the season.

The Chicago Bears running game is getting better

How D’Onta Foreman was a healthy scratch for so many weeks I will never know. Certainly not based on what we have seen of him since coming in to replace the injured Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson.

Over the last 4 weeks, Foreman has averaged 4.4 yards per carry alongside 286 rushing yards and 3 TDs. Added to that, Khalil Herbert was averaging 5.3 yards per carry before he was injured. Roschon Johnson has also looked promising, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.

Having a reliable running game is always the friend of the young, developing quarterback. Not to mention what we know Fields can do with his own legs. While the running backs are all showing their worth, much of the improvement can also be attributed to the execution of the offensive line.

The Bears improved health has led to better offensive line execution

The right side of the Bears' offensive line has become a real strength of this offense. Rookie Darnell Wright has been a revelation at right tackle, and the return of the dominant powerhouse that is Teven Jenkins to partner with him has been a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Larry Borom for me is nothing more than a swing tackle option, and we’ve seen how he has been exposed as the starter for the last few weeks. With Braxton Jones back at left tackle full-time last Thursday, the Bears line looked more settled. Jones still has some way to go with his development, but for me, there are real signs that he is the left tackle of the future for the Bears.

Nate Davis is also due to return from injury shortly. Upon his return, he should slide into one of the guard spots, and suddenly 4 out of your 5 linemen are set. The center position is going to be a problem until it is addressed in the off-season, but as it stands, the offensive line will be much better placed to protect Justin Fields than it was before his injury.

Justin Fields has had a full month to sit and ponder

Now to some, this might seem like a nonsense point to make; however, I firmly believe that these last 4 weeks have been invaluable for Justin Fields to reset, refocus and really take some time in-season to further acclimate to this offense and evaluate his own performances.

During the season, players have very little time to dwell on the previous week’s performance. As soon as one game has finished you are on to the preparation for the next one.

While Fields will have still been fully immersed in preparation for the next opponent regardless of his game status, he will undoubtedly have had more time to reflect on the first few weeks of the season safe in the knowledge that he would not be playing, even as the back-up.

There is a lot of talk about the Bears moving on from Fields in the new year, and while players will always say that they are blocking out the noise, they are humans like everyone else. The idea that he may be displaced will be in the back of his mind.

Of course, the problems on offense have not been entirely the fault of the young QB. Some of the coaching has been very questionable, and the play-calling certainly hasn’t always been tailored to Fields’ strengths. This thing is multifaceted.

As I mentioned, this is Fields’ chance to come out in the 2nd half of this season, prove the doubters wrong, overcome the obstacles, and cement himself as the Chicago Bears starting quarterback for the next decade.

Will that happen? Will the Bears start to stack some victories? Roll on Sunday and we’ll begin to find out.