Chicago Bears: 10 bold predictions following Khalil Mack trade
By Ryan Heckman
Bears defense forces more turnovers than the Vikings
Anyone who is still sleeping on this Bears defense better wake up, and wake up quickly. This unit just acquired the NFL’s best pass rusher. They already have a top-10 defense as it is with arguably the best linebacker group in the entire NFL as well.
The Bears had the no. 2 overall graded safety in all of football last year in Amos. Bryce Callahan was quietly a top-5 slot corner in the league in 2017. Fuller was one of the best corners in the NFL in defending the deep ball.
Up front, Hicks is coming off a season where he was robbed of Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. When it comes to pressuring the quarterback, Hicks is in the upper echelon of that group — not just sacks, but pressures. People sometimes forget how much pressures matter just as much as sacks do, because those can turn into errant throws, leading to takeaways.
This unit is set up to flat-out rob defenses of not only the ball, but momentum.
Related Story. Bears: Teammates hyped after Mack's first practice. light
What if I told you that last year, the Bears took the ball away more than the Vikings did?
It’s true. The Vikings ended 2017 with a total of 19 takeaways (14 interceptions, five fumbles recovered) whereas the Bears finished with 22 (eight interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries).
If you thought I was crazy for this prediction initially, you may want to re-think that reaction. This is not only possible, but probable.