{"id":67195,"date":"2019-06-19T15:08:01","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T19:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=67195"},"modified":"2021-12-29T07:19:21","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T12:19:21","slug":"2019-chicago-bears-lingering-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/06\/19\/2019-chicago-bears-lingering-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 Chicago Bears Lingering Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a style=\"font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;\" href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/nfl-teams\/bears\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Bears<\/a><span style=\"font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: #222222;\">\u00a0have lingering questions to answer. Training camp is the same for them as it is for the other 31 teams in the NFL. Making it through healthy is considered a win as major injuries claim a number of players greater than zero every year. Aside from that (and winning, duh!) the Bears have some specific issues to either address or quiet the chatter on this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Lingering Questions for the 2019 Chicago Bears<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tru Be or Not Tru Be&#8230;the Franchise<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most obvious and crucial of lingering questions to be answered: is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TrubMi00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Mitchell Trubisky<\/strong><\/a> a franchise quarterback? There have been a number of <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/05\/31\/mitchell-trubisky-money-year-three\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">breakdowns about the expectations<\/a> for the third-year signal-caller. At the heart of those, though, is trying to answer that fundamental question.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chicago has a championship-caliber defense. The offensive weaponry is as loaded as it has been since\u00a0the 2014 season that ended with a 5-11 record<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The special teams&#8230;well we\u2019ll get to that in a bit. If Trubisky does not make \u2018the leap\u2019 this season, nothing else will matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Over the last half of the season, Mitchell Trubisky saw a spike in his overall grade \u2013 are even brighter times to come for the young signal-caller? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fGHtaWsgEL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/fGHtaWsgEL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; PFF (@PFF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PFF\/status\/1114728507932909569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 7, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/amp\/s\/profootballtalk.nbcsports.com\/2019\/05\/30\/bears-see-a-different-air-around-mitchell-trubisky\/amp\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reports out of OTAs<\/a> have been positive, but that is not going to quell a rabid fanbase that sees number 10 as the weak link in their title aspirations. A slow start could turn the clamoring into outright protests. If Trubisky showcases improved decision making and consistent accuracy, not only will critics hush, they could be celebrating a Lombardi Trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Should young Mitchell stagnate or (even worse) regress, general manager\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagobears.com\/team\/front-office\/ryan-pace\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Ryan Pace<\/strong><\/a> will have a lot of tough questions to answer. He traded up to get Trubisky, ahead of the 2018 NFL MVP in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MahoPa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Patrick Mahomes<\/strong><\/a> and a promising passer in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WatsDe00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Deshaun Watson<\/strong><\/a>. He, as much as the city itself, needs his guy to be the guy for this team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trusting the Support<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bears offense is loaded, as stated above. But there is the lingering question, what if their best is not enough? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RobiAl02.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Allen Robinson<\/strong><\/a>, for a multitude of reasons, only has one 1,000-yard season to his name. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BurtTr01.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Trey Burton<\/strong><\/a> is recovering from sports hernia surgery and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/ShahAd00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Adam Shaheen<\/strong><\/a> has had little impact in his brief career. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GabrTa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Taylor Gabriel<\/strong><\/a> is what he is and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MillAn02.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Anthony Miller<\/strong><\/a> is just entering his second season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What if the ground game sputters? The Run DMC trio looks good on paper, but how will they perform? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/CoheTa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Tarik Cohen<\/strong><\/a> is a high-use gadget player. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DaviMi01.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Mike Davis<\/strong><\/a> is a journeyman who, even in his best year, was a backup with two starts. <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/12\/david-montgomery-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>David Montgomery<\/strong><\/a> is a rookie with 515 carries over his last two collegiate campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">45.0% of the deep passes thrown his way were hauled in as Allen Robinson ranked 9th in that category last season <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VW1s0oAPki\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/VW1s0oAPki<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; PFF (@PFF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PFF\/status\/1124286489100259329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 3, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is a lot of uncertainty for this group that should be leaned on more in 2019. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HowaJo00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jordan Howard<\/strong><\/a> may have been a poor fit in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagobears.com\/team\/coaches\/matt-nagy\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Matt Nagy<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s scheme, but his worst year was nearly double Davis\u2019 best. Cohen might be the most dangerous player on the team, but his workload will always be split between rushing and catching the ball. Montgomery had better acclimate himself quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is talent in this group. But there is a lot riding on a unit that is a lot of part-timers and unproven youngsters. Gabriel is a prime example; a player who adjusted well to his newfound starting role but still left a lot to be desired. This could easily be a letdown season for this team if the skill position players prove they have lower ceilings than anticipated.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coach &#8216;Em Up<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/670thescore.radio.com\/chicago-bears-chuck-pagano-recharged-early-admiration-players\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Most articles<\/a> regarding new Bears defensive coordinator\u00a0<strong>Chuck Pagano<\/strong> are how the transition from the prior staff has been smooth. Media and players alike have commented on how the defense looks mostly the same, just tweaked to be more aggressive. There are wrinkles we will not see until the regular season kicks off, but it would be a shame if it results in regression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is truly concerning about all the good feels around this defense\u2019s prospects is that it is based largely off a one-year sample. 2011 with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/nfl-teams\/ravens\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baltimore Ravens<\/a> was the only time Pagano has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL. That organization is like the Bears; they typically field formidable defenses. How much of that was because of Chuck?<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Matt Nagy: &quot;I know there\u2019s buzz about us, and I get it, but we haven\u2019t done anything.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bears?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Bears<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AdamHoge\/status\/1138915680202493953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pagano is not alone amongst Bears coaches in having something to prove. Nagy set the bar pretty high for himself after waking this offense from hibernation last season. The biggest thing for him is finding that perfect run-pass balance for this group. This is ultimately dependent on players, though. Chicago had nine games where they averaged less than four yards per carry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fans should be optimistic Nagy will figure it out. He was able to reel in Trubisky when things seemed to get away from the quarterback. This year, with a better feel for the team, he can make those adjustments quicker. That counts for attempting to get him back on rhythm rather than going into a shell. Then again, if he often has to cover for Trubisky this year too, the Bears will have more lingering questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kicked to the Curb<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No way this piece about lingering questions could be completed without mention of the circus that the Bears search for a kicker has become. At one point there were eight legs at rookie mini-camp. Those eight were then subject to \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/amp\/s\/www.chicagotribune.com\/sports\/bears\/ct-spt-bears-kickers-matt-nagy-masters-20190605-story,amp.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Augusta silence<\/a>&#8216;, a self-explanatory practice. The number was whittled down to three and currently stands at two.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Already a lot going on and that is before you read the stories from camp and realize they may not have the guy yet. It is almost inconceivable that an issue that effectively ended their season could linger this far into the off-season. With no clear cut solutions, this could linger into and through the preseason. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">During Bears practice, with 25 alumni &amp; their guests watching, all 3 kickers were called onto the main field to try a 42-yard FG. <\/p>\n<p>1. Right post<br \/>2. Wide left<br \/>3. Wide right<\/p>\n<p>HC Matt Nagy, what went through your mind?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhatever went through your mind went through my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Rich_Campbell\/status\/1138564624054464512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many fans are clamoring for a return of former Bear <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/gouldrob01.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Robbie Gould<\/strong><\/a>, and it would seem the kicker himself is up for it. The snag comes in the form of his currently being under contract with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/nfl-teams\/49ers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco 49ers<\/a>. Pause on trade thoughts should come to fans\u2019 minds when they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/amp\/s\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/chicago-bears\/end-era-bears-cut-kicker-robbie-gould%3famp\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">remember his final year<\/a> and subsequent exit. Unless he is released, a reunion seems unlikely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be fair, this was the subject of many public debates before it ever got started. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/ParkCo03.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Cody Parkey<\/strong><\/a> helped fuel the conversation with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/amp\/s\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/25761472\/bears-coach-matt-nagy-not-happy-cody-parkey-talking-miss-tv%3fplatform=amp\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">daytime television appearance<\/a> and his being waived kicked it into full gear. Now, it seems fans will have to wait at least a little longer to find out if the team has found the solution. There is still time to get it figured out, but to still be at square one hurts.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bears Have Lingering Questions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Training camp has not opened up just yet but the Bears already have some lingering questions to answer. Is Trubisky that guy? Will this defense be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagobears.com\/news\/pagano-returns-to-indy-for-cancer-fundraiser\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chuck Strong<\/a>? Perhaps they go for it on fourth-down and try for two every time. Sure, there are players feeling the heat. But these coaches and the general manager are also feeling the squeeze. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"aOnXGU4eSdRl0tgGqLl_ig\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1148561835\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'aOnXGU4eSdRl0tgGqLl_ig',sig:'3h4eErXtOP38ox1cG4BHqo7r3UHT0hQgJ6sKFU5ylEs=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1148561835',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chicago Bears\u00a0have lingering questions to answer. Training camp is the same for them as it is for the other 31 teams in the NFL. Making it through healthy is considered a win as major injuries claim a number of players greater than zero every year. Aside from that (and winning, duh!) the Bears have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2879,"featured_media":67211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,2],"tags":[2289,442,3495,42,324,4828,61,3385,3391,2265,40,2255,1310,3503],"class_list":["post-67195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bears","category-featured","tag-adam-shaheen","tag-allen-robinson","tag-anthony-miller","tag-chicago-bears","tag-chuck-pagano","tag-david-montgomery","tag-football","tag-matt-nagy","tag-mike-davis","tag-mitchell-trubisky","tag-nfl","tag-tarik-cohen","tag-taylor-gabriel","tag-trey-burton"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2879"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67195\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}