Chicago Bears: 5 Reasons they’ll make the playoffs in 2018

The Bears made a game-changing deal

The Bears did a great job of overhauling the roster. They added weapons on offense, re-signed key defensive players, and added draft choices who can help now. The one thing that was still a question mark was their pass rush.

The Bears needed a dependable pass rusher opposite of Leonard Floyd. They signed Aaron Lynch to be the guy but he spent all of training camp and the entire preseason dealing with a number of injuries. In the end, Pace and the Bears (along with the fans) didn’t feel comfortable with that. As a result, they decided to pull the trigger on a huge move.

That move was signing the best defensive player in the NFL, Khalil Mack. Mack was in a contract dispute with the Oakland Raiders. He expected to get paid like the elite player he is, but the Raiders felt they needed to go another way. Ultimately, the felt they needed to part ways with Mack.

There were several teams looking to make a deal, but the price was steep. At a minimum, those teams needed to give up two first-round picks. The Bears were all in and worked out a deal. Once the Bears made the trade, they signed Mack to a massive six-year, $141 million contract extension. Mack will be a Bears for the foreseeable future.

Adding Mack changes the landscape of the NFC North. Before the deal, many expected the Bears to finish last again. With him, however, that talk changes. For example, Las Vegas had the Bears’ odds of winning the Super Bowl at 100-1. Winning the NFC North was 9-1. Now, though, those odds are 50-1 and 7-1, respectively.

Mack helps an already tough defense get even tougher. They ranked seventh last season in sacks with 42. That number should go up with Mack. He frees space up for Floyd and Akiem Hicks. His pressure helps force opposing quarterbacks to make rushed decisions. That raises the chances of them making mistakes.

Additionally, Mack gives the Bears more flexibility. For example, instead of depending on Lynch to be the key to the pass rush, he can now move around and help in a rotation. That helps him stay fresh and possibly prevent him from being constantly injured.

Having Mack on the defense brings the old Monsters of the Midway defense back. This defense will keep the point total low, and with a new, high-powered offense, the win total should drastically rise.