The Chicago Bears season ended in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday. Nick Foles connected with Golden Tate for a touchdown with just over a minute left to give the Philadelphia Eagles the lead. Tarik Cohen returned the kickoff just past the 40, which gave the Bears some life. Mitchell Trubisky found Allen Robinson on a beautiful pitch and catch to bring the Bears into field goal range. Cody Parkey had an opportunity to win the game and send the Bears to the next round. He made his first kick, but Eagles head coach Doug Pederson called timeout. His second kick hit off the left upright and then the crossbar and fell just short. It was a difficult way to end the season, but there’s a lot to look forward to for this young team.
Positive Takeaways From 2018 Chicago Bears Season
Growth and Development of Mitchell Trubisky
Trubisky followed up his subpar rookie season with a very good sophomore campaign. He completed roughly 67 percent of his passes, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions. He also added 421 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Trubisky made a significant improvement in his second season. He looked more comfortable out on the field. He became much more of a leader as well, something that the Bears were lacking. Trubisky still has a long way to go and needs to make further improvements, but this sophomore season shows that he has the potential to be a quality starting quarterback for many years to come.
The Emergence of Tarik Cohen
Cohen is overlooked by a lot of people due to his size. However, he’s able to have major impacts on games due to his speed and agility. He totaled over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and was sixth among running backs in receptions. Cohen was also first in punt return yards and sixth in yards per punt return. This coincided with him being selected to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist and also being named to the AP All-Pro first team. It was a great year for Cohen. Hopefully, he can continue to grow as a runner and be on his way to becoming one of the most complete running backs in the league.
The Play of the Defense
What can you say about the Bears defense that hasn’t already been said? They are arguably the top unit in the league and have the stats to prove it. They ranked third in total defense, first in scoring defense, first in run defense, and first in takeaways. Khalil Mack had a lot to do with the success of the defense, but they also got career years from many others. Kyle Fuller, Akiem Hicks, and Eddie Jackson all had career years and were rewarded with selections to the Pro Bowl. In addition, Mack, Fuller, and Jackson were named to the A.P. All-Pro first team for their efforts this season. The Bears will have to make decisions about re-signing guys like Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan this off-season. However, don’t expect too much change from this unit, as they will look to come back stronger next season.
Last Word on the Bears Season
Unfortunately for the Bears, their season ended in an absolutely heartbreaking fashion. However, they have one of the youngest rosters in the league and will be bringing back most of the guys from this team. It will be exciting to see how this team bounces back next year, and see if they can further the success that they had this season.
