Chicago Bears: 3 things that must happen to win Super Bowl LIV

Smooth transition to Pagano’s system

Another area that has some pundits concerned about regression is on the defensive side of the football, where some fear the entire unit could see a decline in production. Their rationale? The Bears lost their defensive coordinator and was only able to replace him with the man responsible for overseeing (as secondary coach and defensive coordinator) one of the most talented defenses of our time with the Baltimore Ravens — but you know — don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.

Yes, there is something to be said about the continuity of retaining Vic Fangio and continuing to build on what they did last year. But Chuck Pagano has already said he will adjust to the terminology they used last year rather than make the players adopt his. That should help considerably.

In addition, sometimes in order to be great, you must force yourself out of your comfort zone. That’s just what Pagano will do with his aggressive-minded defense. In fact, he’s already having a huge impact on this defense. Don’t believe me? Take a look at what Khalil Mack recently said about Pagano after his brief time with his new coach:

You heard that right — Pagano is teaching Mack things about football that he’s never even thought of before. Also, don’t underestimate the value of Mack having an entire offseason to work with this defense, unlike last year when he had basically a week to prepare for the start of the season.

You will also probably enjoy the way Pagano utilizes Eddie Jackson if his history with Ed Reed is any indication. He will certainly be aggressive with Eddie and put him in a position to make even more plays.

In other words, the hysteria around the team’s ability to transition to Pagano’s defense is likely overblown — but they must make the transition nonetheless.