After a hectic but exciting offseason, the Chicago Bears are in a prime position to turn things around. They finished with the worst record on paper, but they were in many close games. Justin Fields had one of the most electric seasons as a runner we’ve ever seen. His combination of size and raw athleticism is scarce. Chicago bought into his running ability and ran an offense that best suited him. Now that he has DJ Moore, who can be that true X-Receiver, they’ll be one of the most explosive offenses in football.
I have concerns with this team, considering they did a minimal job addressing the DLine. Paying a Linebacker big-time money was questionable as Linebacker is typically the final touch to a defense. They didn’t bolster the defensive trenches quite enough for them to rank higher. However, this team will be highly entertaining as long as Fields is healthy.
I watched all-22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.
Grading scale: 20-100.
(+): The player is expected to improve.
| Power Ranking – 26 | OVR Grade – 78.6 | Projected Wins – 6.9 |
| HC – Matt Eberflus | OC – Luke Getsy | DC – Allen Williams |
I had high expectations for Matt Eberflus, and despite the poor record, he didn’t disappoint. He was given an abysmal roster and made the most of it in year one. The defense clearly played with more discipline and energy than they did under Naggy. Eberflus runs a 4-3 split safety defense with moderately heavy zone coverage usage. It’s not quite like a Fangio, Quarters heavy scheme as he likes to press more often, but it’s a generally balanced system.
The offense run by Luke Getsy was a dream fit for Quarterback Justin Fields. They bought into his running ability and ran plenty of well-designed QB run plays. You see a lot of motion and play-action used in this offense, and bootlegs were also heavily prominent. There’s also a healthy balance of run-scheme variations in this offense.
Fields has a rocket arm and excellent deep ball placement, which is ideal for the number of deep shots they take. In 2022, Fields tied for fourth in deep pass attempts (with a min. of 21 pass attempts). That should show you what this offense is about. Getsy, while not a superb play-caller, is the ideal guy to pair with Fields.
| Playcalling – 80 |
| Scheme – Wide Zone |
| QB – 76.1 (+) |
| Justin Fields (+), P.J. Walker, Nathan Peterman |
| Receiving Options – 81.8 |
| WR1 – DJ Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown, Tyler Scott WR2 – Darnell Mooney, Dante Pettis SWR – Chase Claypool, Velus Jones Jr. TE – Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Jake Tonges, Chase Allen HB – D’Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Holmer |
| Pass-Pro – 76.8 |
| LT – Braxton Jones (+), Larry Borom LG – Taven Jenkins (+), Lukas Patrick C – Cody Whitehair, Dough Kramer RG – Nate Davis, Deiter Eiselen RT – Darnell Wright (+), Alex Leatherwood HB – D’Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Holmer |
| Run Blocking – 80.4 |
| LT – Braxton Jones (+), Larry Borom LG – Taven Jenkins (+), Lukas Patrick C – Cody Whitehair, Dough Kramer RG – Nate Davis, Deiter Eiselen RT – Darnell Wright (+), Alex Leatherwood TE – Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Jake Tonges, Chase Allen |
| Run Options – 79.1 |
| HB – D’Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Holmer |
This offense was significantly enhanced over the offseason. While it wasn’t a total overhaul, they kept the previous core intact and acquired phenomenal pieces to surround Fields. These additions will give Fields a legitimate opportunity to thrive as a passer. Say what you will about Darnell Wright at pick ten, but he is undoubtedly an upgrade to who they had before.
I’m expecting Fields to develop a better processor, which, if it happens, will take this passing offense to the next level. While no running back here is outstanding, they have three guys who could all contribute. Fields himself elevates the running game significantly. With solid playcalling and a perfect scheme for Fields, this offense will be the primary reason Chicago can win some games this year.
| Coaching – 86 |
| Scheme – 4-3 Balanced |
| Secondary – 77.1 |
| CB1 – Jaylon Johnson, Terell Smith CB2 – Tyrique Stevenson, Kindle Vildor SCB – Kyler Gordon, Josh Blackwell FS – Eddie Jackson, Elijah Hicks, Adrian Colbert SS – Jaquan Brisker, Kendall Williamson |
| Pass Rush – 72.7 |
| ED1 – Trevis Gipson, Rasheem Green ED2 – DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson IDL1 – Justin Jones, Andrew Billings, Jalyn Holmes IDL2 – Zacch Pickens, Gervon Dexter Sr. |
| Off-Ball Linebacker – 84.1 |
| LB1 – Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn, Dylan Cole LB2 – T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Sterling Weatherford |
| Run Defense – 71.6 |
| ED1 – Trevis Gipson, Rasheem Green ED2 – DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson IDL1 – Andrew Billings, Zacch Pickens, Jalyn Holmes IDL2 – Justin Jones, Gervon Dexter Sr. |
While Matt Eberflus is a fantastic defensive coach, this defense can only go so far with the amount of talent they have. They have a vigorous Linebacker room, but everything else is considerably weak about this defense. The D-Line won’t be abysmal, but their starting options draw concern. Although some lovely pieces are in the secondary, three starters are still developing.
Tyrique Stevenson was an excellent draft choice and can be a reliable number-two guy. Kyler Gordon is a bit of a concern in the slot, but there are also suitable safeties here to help him. If some players step up, this could be a legitimate defense, but it’s hard to project that. With many young, unproven players, it could go either two ways. The defense either develops and helps support a competitive team or players stagnate and lose games. Either way, it will be a well-coached unit, and there is a lot of room for growth in all levels of the defense.
| Special Teams – 83 |
| K – Cairo Santos P – Trenton Gill LS – Patrick Scales KR – Velus Jones Jr., Tyler Scott PR – Dante Pettis |
Total Win Projection – 6.9
| WK | Chicago | Win % |
| 1 | vs. GB | 50% |
| 2 | at TB | 43% |
| 3 | at KC | 20% |
| 4 | vs. DEN | 43% |
| 5 | at WAS | 43% |
| 6 | vs. MIN | 43% |
| 7 | vs. LV | 50% |
| 8 | at LAC | 20% |
| 9 | at NO | 33% |
| 10 | vs. CAR | 57% |
| 11 | at DET | 33% |
| 12 | at MIN | 33% |
| 13 | BYE | |
| 14 | vs. DET | 50% |
| 15 | at CLE | 20% |
| 16 | vs. AZ | 57% |
| 17 | vs. ATL | 57% |
| 18 | at GB | 33% |
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