1. Defense: Return to 2018 form
2019 Numbers and NFL ranks:
325.7 yards allowed per game (8th)
228.5 passing yards allowed per game (12th)
97.2 rushing yards allowed per game (6th)
18.6 points allowed per game (5th)
2018 Numbers and NFL ranks:
299.7 total yards allowed per game (3rd)
219.7 passing yards allowed per game (7th)
80.0 rushing yards allowed per game (1st)
17.7 points allowed per game (1st)
Looking at the numbers overall, the defense really didn’t take too far of a dip in most categories year-over-year.
So, what happened? The answer lies within two huge categories which aren’t listed above.
2018
Sacks: 50.0
Takeaways: 36
2019
Sacks: 32.0
Takeaways: 19
It’s tough to come to this conclusion, but, the Bears didn’t get the best version of Khalil Mack in 2019. He was no where near as dominant. Why? We might not know the real answer. But, the Bears also missed Akiem Hicks for most of the season — that hurt big time.
In 2020, the focus on defense has to be about pressuring the quarterback. If Chicago doesn’t improve there, it’ll be another year of decent overall ranks without real impact.