The Chicago Bears Super Bowl ideas have been stored in the freeze for the better part of a decade. Not since 2011 did it truly feel like this team was capable of making a run to the big dance. Those dreams died when Jay Cutler broke his thumb. Things gradually fell apart after that and it took seven years to finally get back to winning.
The question is are they at that level again yet or is there still work to do? One notable name believes the waiting is over. Their time is now.
Bucky Brooks has been around the game of football for a long time. He was a player in the NFL for five seasons, playing on some good football teams along the way. After he retired, he became a scout, learning to evaluate the game from a new perspective. This eventually led to his current work as a top analyst for NFL Network.
Brooks believes a certain checklist must be adhered to in order to be a Super Bowl contender. This includes a franchise QB, three good offensive linemen, three offensive playmakers, two pass rushers, and three defensive playmakers. To him, the Bears are just one of five teams who fit the criteria.
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“It’s not a coincidence the Bears surged to the top of the NFC North after acquiring Khalil Mack just before last season kicked off. The ultra-explosive sack master not only completed Ryan Pace’s roster
makeover, but No. 52 gave the Bears the high-end difference maker needed to seriously contend for the Lombardi Trophy. Stout center Cody Whitehair also received consideration for one of the O-lineman spots above.”
Chicago Bears Super Bowl hopes are real but require maximum effort
Mike Singletary once said about his team going into 1985 that they knew they were good but they didn’t realize until a few weeks into the season that they had to work. They had to work to make it happen, it’s not just going to happen. This is the reality the 2019 Bears will face.
They’re a good team. They have talent everywhere and after going 12-4 and winning the division, they know it. The question is will they take that for granted and assume they’ll be good again or will they put in the work needed to take that final step to the promised land?
Head coach Matt Nagy set the expectations almost immediately after the playoff loss to Philadelphia. What happened last year is over. It’s time to take that next step. The players are back working already. This is a hungry team who can smell the blood. Will they be able to catch a prey that has eluded them for 34 years?
If what Brooks says is true, then the answer is yes.
