The Chicago Bears offense was definitely a fun unit to watch in 2018. Mitchell Trubisky‘s improvement to go along with Matt Nagy’s creativity made for some unforgettable moments. One of those was offensive lineman Bradley Sowell‘s touchdown catch on third and goal against the Los Angeles Rams. Guys like Tarik Cohen, Anthony Miller, and Taylor Gabriel all flashed big-play ability with their speed. Cohen and Jordan Howard held down the fort at running back and were able to produce decent numbers. Furthermore, who can forget about Trubisky’s arm talent and scrambling? Everyone’s going to remember his scramble against the New England Patriots that resulted in a touchdown. That was then, this is now. The offense is going to look a little different. What does that mean for the 2019 Chicago Bears offense?
2019 Chicago Bears Offense Season Preview
Make or Break Year For Trubisky
Many Bears fans were happy with Mitchell Trubisky’s second year. He had some outstanding performances, like throwing for six touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition, he also played well in the divisional round against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he had them in position to win the game. However, there were some head-scratching throws and decisions that he probably would want back. Still, he’s young and you expect those things from a guy who’s in just his second year.
Trubisky needs to focus on two things specifically. The first thing is limiting turnover-worthy throws. He finished the season with 12 interceptions but probably should’ve had more. Trubisky relied too much on his arm sometimes and thought he would be able to fit the ball into a tight window. That just didn’t work. Instead, if the play isn’t there, he needs to either throw the ball to the check down or throw it away. If he’s able to do this more frequently, it will help cut down on the turnover numbers.
The second thing he needs to do is to be more careful when scrambling. This was evident last year, as he was the victim of a late hit from Harrison Smith. That caused him to miss two games in which the Bears were able to go 1-1. He’s too valuable for the Bears, and he needs to be cautious when scrambling. I would expect him to tone down the running a little bit, but when he does run, he needs to slide to try and avoid defenders.
New Look Rushing Attack
I specifically discussed the running backs in a separate piece. I’m only going to touch on the running backs briefly. Matt Nagy has emphasized that he would like to run the ball more effectively this season. The Bears were towards the bottom of the league when it came to yards per carry last year. When Nagy was the offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, he saw his running back, Kareem Hunt lead the league in rushing in his rookie year. Nagy wants to see a lot of success out of his three-headed monster in 2019.
Of course, we know that the Bears traded away Jordan Howard to the Eagles for a draft pick. So the backfield is going to look a lot different this season. The one thing that stays constant from this group is Tarik Cohen. Cohen is a dynamic playmaker, whose shiftiness and agility make him one of the hardest guys to tackle in the league. To cope for Howard’s loss, the Bears went after former Seattle Seahawks back Mike Davis in free agency. Additionally, they traded up in the NFL Draft to select Iowa State’s David Montgomery. These two are better fits in the Bears offense than Jordan Howard was. Howard struggled in the passing game, but these two should be able to help out the passing attack much more.
The thing about this group is that there is no clear starter. Cohen likely won’t be the workhorse and should be used more in the passing game, and as a change of pace player. So it’s Davis vs. Montgomery. If one of these two outperforms the other in camp and preseason, they’ll be the likely starter heading into the season. This will definitely be one of the better position battles we’ll see this offseason.
Receiving Corp Looks For More Production
When you think of Bears receivers, one name doesn’t really stand out. They don’t have that clear number one receiver. Many would argue and say that Allen Robinson is. However, Robinson was only able to put up 754 yards. Robinson did have a monster game in the divisional round, putting up 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. The passing attack was extremely balanced, as four guys had over 50 catches and over 500 yards. I expect them to continue to stay balanced this season. I also believe that if Robinson is able to stay healthy, that he can reach the 1000 yard plateau.
This group, unlike the running back corp, stayed mostly the same. However, they were able to add two new weapons. In free agency, they picked up speed threat Cordarelle Patterson. He won’t be a premier guy, as he will most likely be used on special teams as a return threat. Knowing Matt Nagy though, he will try and find ways to get Patterson out in space and let him go to work. They continued to add in the draft, going after Georgia’s Riley Ridley, brother of Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley. Ridley isn’t the fastest guy, or the biggest guy, but is an extremely smooth route runner who finds ways to get open.
Regardless of what ends up happening, this is a fun group to watch. Each of them represents a unique set of skills that makes them mesh well together. If Trubisky is able to improve, look for the receivers to put up significantly better numbers than last season.
Last Word on the 2019 Chicago Bears Offense
The Chicago Bears offense in 2019 will be one of the most intriguing groups to watch for the upcoming season. Many eyes will be on Mitchell Trubisky. If he’s able to make even more strides this season, that bodes well for the skill players. Get ready Chicago, the expectations are high, but this team is ready to compete for the playoffs, and potentially make a deep run.
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