Chicago Bears: Why the disrespect is a good thing

The Chicago Bears are still the underdog in 2019 but that’s a good thing, and here’s why.

The Chicago Bears defense will regress. Mitchell Trubisky is not an elite quarterback and if the Bears offense is successful this season it will be in spite of him and not because of him. They will most certainly miss Vic Fangio more than they will benefit from gaining Chuck Pagano. The losses of Adrian Amos, Jordan Howard, and Bryce Callahan will be insurmountable and there’s no chance the team will replicate their level of health or turnover rate from last season.

Alright, so did I account for all of the ways in which the Bears have been disrespected this offseason? Despite going 12-4 and being a missed kick away from advancing in the playoffs, the Bears have seemingly forgotten how to play football according to many in the national media.

It has become tiresome to hear certain factors discussed as pros for other teams, while they are cons for the Bears. Take the defensive coordinator change for example. Despite returning the nine most important starters on the defense, most believe the Bears unit will regress. However, bringing in a new coach and offensive system is a boon for the Green Bay Packers. It’s all hogwash and none of these narratives will matter once the players step onto the field.

Well, perhaps that’s not entirely true, as the rampant disrespect could have an impact on how this season unfolds — and it could be a positive one. Coming off a surprise 12-4 season, it was presumed the Bears would be the hunted this season. With that would come an increased amount of pressure of having to prove it every week with increased expectations.

However, it’s almost as if a 12-4 team has been completely forgotten, as many prognosticators have predicted they will miss the playoffs this year. If there was any concern that the Bears would be complacent following last year, that notion should be put to rest. Not that it would be a concern anyway with the group of professionals on this team, but being snubbed like this will provide some extra motivation.

The Bears can go into Week 1 with an “us against the world” mentality, motivated to prove the doubters wrong — and that could spell trouble for the rest of the league.