Chicago Bears: Closing remarks for disappointing 2019 season
By Ryan Fedrau
4. The defensive line was a mess
The defensive line didn’t get the pass-rush they were expected to get in 2019. Last season, the Bears defense was a top-five defense in everything. The pass rush helped the secondary create turnovers. In 2019, they didn’t show consistency.
The biggest shock of 2019 was the invisibility of Khalil Mack. Mack was very quiet in 2019, which hurt the whole team. They also had a lot of injuries on the defensive line. Injuries are never good, but they exposed the lack of depth for the Bears’ defense.
Teams destroyed the Bears while passing because of the lack of pass rush. Even quarterbacks that struggled seemed to play well throughout the season against the Bears. Part of this had to do with the loss of Vic Fangio. Chuck Pagano isn’t a terrible coach though. He just might not be the correct fit for the Bears.
The team under Fangio would bend but not break. Under Pagano, they bent and would break in key moments. The biggest break under Pagano was the game against the Oakland Raiders in London. The defense got mauled by the Raiders’ running-game early and fell behind 17-0. The team battled back and took the lead but lost on the last drive. On that last drive, the Raiders drove down the field and scored a game-winning touchdown.
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Now, missing the playoffs isn’t on the defense. They still kept the team in a lot of games. In the second Packers game, they stopped Aaron Rodgers three straight times to give the offense a chance to tie the game at the end. The Bears were just one-yard away from tying the game.
In the offseason, they have to add depth to this defense. Maybe even a coordinator change. The good thing everyone will be healthy. The year was a mess on both sides of the ball and a long offseason is needed. It’s just weird to think this defense was projected to be one of the best in Bears’ history. That just didn’t happen.
In 2020, Mack needs to improve as a player. He was way too quiet for this team. Akiem Hicks getting hurt showed how important he is to the team too. If both players can return to their 2018 form, the monsters of the midway will be feared again.