Chicago Bears Facing Make-or-Break September
By David Mamola
What the Chicago Bears do in September could dictate how much success the team has in the 2016 season.
Any team will tell you that getting the season off to a good start is important. Having early season success builds team chemistry, improves player morale, and sets the tone for the rest of the year. For the Chicago Bears, starting fast under second-year head coach John Fox is vital.
It’s been well documented that Fox has had terrific success in both of his second seasons coaching—first with the Carolina Panthers in 2003 (11-5 record and a Super Bowl appearance) and then with the Denver Broncos in 2012 (13-3 record and an AFC West title).
The common theme in both of these seasons was that Fox’s teams got off to hot starts. The Panthers started 5-0 in 2003, while the Broncos started the season by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers and quickly going 2-0 within their division.
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Last year, the first three weeks of the season were brutal for the Bears. It started with an opening day matchup with the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals. Then a game against the archrival Green Bay Packers. Finally, there was a trip to Seattle to take on the Seahawks—with Jimmy Clausen as the starting quarterback. Needless to say, the Bears lost all three of these games, and never were able to gain much traction in the season the rest of the way.
This year, however, things have to be better. Sunday’s Week 1 opponent—the Houston Texans—are probably a better team than the Bears on paper. But it’s opening day, and anything can happen.
Quarterback Brock Osweiler is making his first start with Houston, three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt is nursing a sore back, and the Texans have so many new faces that it might take some time to gel. It won’t be a cakewalk, but the Bears definitely have a shot to win.
In Week 2, the Bears face the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. The Eagles just traded their starting quarterback. Moreover, they are led by first-year head coach Doug Pederson. No one really knows what to expect from the Eagles, but the bar is set pretty low.
In the third week, the Bears take on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott lit-up the preseason, but whether he’ll find the same level of success in the regular season is yet to be seen. Dallas will still be without defensive starters Randy Gregory, Demarcus Lawrence, and Rolando McClain (suspensions). Thus, their defense will be missing some its bite and, by the time Sept. 25 rolls around, head coach Jason Garrett may already have been fired.
None of these games will be easy, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Bears won’t open this season 0-3 again.
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Early season wins can only help the Bears moving forward. I’m not guaranteeing a Bears’ playoff appearance, but early season success can only help fuel future success. If the Bears want to be a competitive football team in December, setting the tone in September is a great way to start.