The Chicago Bears ended their 2017 season, and the John Fox era, yesterday with a 5-11 record. And this morning, John Fox was fired after a three year run as Bears head coach.
This offseason will be a wild ride, and coverage will begin later this afternoon, starting with Ryan Pace’s season-ending press conference after ousting Fox.
But in the meantime, we bid adieu to the 2017 season by handing out some year-end awards. Not all recipients are “winners”, but say congrats nonetheless! 250 days until Bears football returns.
Most Valuable Player: Akiem Hicks
The fact that Akiem Hicks was named just a fourth alternate for the Pro Bowl is embarrassing. The league and its players and fans should be embarrassed. Yes, it’s a popularity contest and has nothing to do with merit. And yes, winning teams generally win popularity contests. But come on. Hicks might be the best interior defensive lineman (who plays defensive end, btw) in the league outside of Aaron Donald.
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Well, we do our best to make up for it by giving Hicks the MVP award. He was invaluable to the defense as a run-stopping and pass-rushing force, and to the team as a veteran leader. Ryan Pace gave him a contract extension early in the year, and he rewarded the Bears with an All-Pro level season. The Bears are lucky to have him.
Honorable mention: Jordan Howard, Kyle Fuller
Least Valuable Player: Marcus Cooper
Mike Glennon was Chicago’s worst investment of the year, but he did still have the Bears in position to beat the Falcons in the final seconds of Week 1, and he did beat the Steelers (though he didn’t have much to do with it). Then he was benched after Week 4 and never took another snap all season.
Marcus Cooper, on the other hand … yikes. Dumb mistakes, poor coverage, penalties, more dumb mistakes, you name it. I can’t think of a single positive play that Cooper contributed all year. And of course, there was this gem.
Dishonorable mention(s): Mike Glennon, Markus Wheaton, Quintin Demps, Connor Barth
Offensive Player of the Year: Jordan Howard
Not much went right for the Bears on offense this year. But Jordan Howard carried the Bears’ offense on the ground. He willed Chicago to wins over the Steelers and Ravens, and persistently pounded the rock like a good soldier despite Dowell Loggains and John Fox’s insistence on running him into eight and nine man fronts. He became the first Bears running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in his first two season. Congratulations to Jordan on that achievement while playing for a franchise whose running back history is fabled.
A true draft steal, Howard will prove even more dangerous in future years as Mitch Trubisky makes strides and forces opposing defenses to respect the passing game.
Honorable mention(s): Kendall Wright, Tarik Cohen, Charles Leno
Defensive Player of the Year: Akiem Hicks
Though the Bears had many defenders who had very good seasons, Hicks was named our MVP. It stands to reason that he’d be the defensive player of the year as well.
Honorable mention(s): Kyle Fuller, Danny Trevathan, Adrian Amos
Rookie of the Year: Eddie Jackson
Eddie Jackson took hold of the starting free safety job and never relented. He broke out against the Carolina Panthers, returning two 75+ yard defensive touchdowns, and made plays throughout the season that legitimized Pace’s belief in him when he traded up to nab him in the fourth round.
He played a strong “center field” and formed a surprisingly solid safety tandem with the previously benched Adrian Amos. Given the the Bears’ revolving door at both safety positions for years, and the fact that Chicago finally seems to have a good one in Jackson (and maybe in Amos, too), he gets the award for best rookie. But this draft class, in general, was terrific. Great job by Ryan Pace.
Honorable mention: Tarik Cohen, Mitch Trubisky
Comeback Player of the Year: Kyle Fuller
This was a tough one. Danny Trevathan came off a torn patellar tendon in essentially record time and went on to show how important he was to the defense after he missed time following the Saints loss.
But Fuller essentially came back from the dead to lead one of the better Bears cornerback seasons in recent memory. Remember, last year, after getting a knee scope done in training camp, Fuller shockingly sat out the entire year. Vic Fangio even called Fuller out for not playing, and it was assumed that Fuller had played his last snap for the team. But he earned his job back in training camp and preseason, and was a force all season.
Trevathan was expected to return to the team eventually; but Fuller’s status was completely uncertain. Talk about a comeback. And now, he’s going to get paid in the offseason — either by the Bears or by somebody else.
Honorable mention: Danny Trevathan, Adrian Amos
Best Moment of the Year: Mitch Trubisky earns his first victory against the Ravens
Mitch Trubisky had many good moments in an uneven yet promising rookie campaign. But his triumph in Baltimore was the best moment of the season. No rookie QB had ever won in Baltimore in the John Harbaugh era, and Trubisky destroyed that “record” in overtime.
The game shouldn’t have even gotten to overtime — that’s how badly the Bears had dominated Joe Flacco and the Ravens. But alas, in OT, Trubisky made the third down throw that validated Pace’s belief in him. Third and long, not yet in field goal range, under pressure immediately, moved in the pocket and kept the eyes downfield, fired off balance and hit Kendall Wright where only Wright could be hit.
A throw that maybe only Aaron Rodgers could also make. Four plays later, Trubisky had his first NFL win.
Honorable Mention(s): John Fox finally benches Mike Glennon, Jordan Howard’s overtime touchdown run to beat the Steelers, Bears’ demolition of the Bengals on the road
“C’mon, Man!” Moment of the Year: John Fox challenges that 1st and Goal at the 1-yard line should be a touchdown, but instead it results in a touchback and turnover for the offense
We remember this, right? The Bears were 3-5 coming out of their bye week and playing the Brett Hundley led Packers at Soldier Field. Down 10-3, Benny Cunningham took a dump off towards the end zone and was ruled out of bounds near the 1-yard line.
John Fox thought it was a touchdown, and decided to challenge, without giving any regard to the risk of losing the ball to a fumble out through the end zone that was apparent on the replay (unclear if Cunningham was out of bounds beforehand). After review, it was ruled that Cunningham indeed fumbled, causing a touchback and giving the ball to Green Bay at their own 20.
The call never should have been overturned to anything because it was unclear as to whether Cunningham was out of bounds before fumbling. But it was CLEARLY never a touchdown and shouldn’t have been challenged. It was a bad mid-game decision by Fox that was all too common throughout his tenure. This one, though, took the cake.
The Bears never recovered from that play, dropping an ugly decision to the Packers and losing control of their season thereafter.
Dishonorable mention(s): Marcus Cooper fumbles at the 1-yard line, Robbie Gould kicks game winner for San Francisco at Soldier Field, Mike Glennon’s knee-fumble against the Packers
