Northern Exposure: Bears Divisional Issues

As Bears GM Ryan Poles put it when they hired him, the Bears aim to take the North.

Taking it in 2022 proved impossible considering the lack of resources available to a franchise starting a rebuild. A team doing that needs some salary cap space and draft picks and the Bears had neither.

Now they face other problems after devoting the past off-season to personnel issues.

It's a drastically different lineup they'll put on the field with quarterback Justin Fields, and a totally retooled front seven on defense. If time on task means something, the Bears are only slightly better than last year until they've played together.

They've got other problems, though.

The North doesn't sit still while all of this rebuilding and retooling occur. Most analysis of rosters put the Bears still in the bottom half of the league. Pro Football Focus' latest roster analysis put the Bears 22nd, ahead of only Green Bay in the North.

Here's where the Bears have trouble stacking up against teams in the NFC North, including the Packers.

Detroit Lions

The consensus picks to take over the NFC North this year possess one of the league's most potent offenses playing around a veteran quarterback. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown can be devastating against man-to-man defenses but the Bears rely mostly on zone coverage. The strength of the Bears defense is their secondary and linebackers' ability to cover passes, so they seem well suited to defending against Detroit's greatest strength.

However, getting the secondary help with a pass rush will be a problem. The Bears pass rush plans work perfectly for what Detroit can do on offense with Jared Goff at quarterback. He's essentially a pocket passer and an interior rush like the Bears plan can cause him trouble, but the issue is whether the Bears can actually pull this off. Two rookie defensive tackles and Justin Jones at three technique are no certainties as pass rushers inside, and their plan to move ends DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green inside for passing situations is no more of a certainty. The Bears sought to fortify their run defense and improve their interior rush with moves they made but no one can be certain they've actually done it without really top-end, proven tackle talent. Goff could have all day to pass and carve up the Bears secondary even if it is a strength.

The other way the Bears have trouble with Detroit is pass blocking with their young tackles. James Houston ate tackle Braxton Jones' lunch last year with three of his eight rookie sacks coming in one game against the Bears. When Justin Fields couldn't outrun the Lions pass rush, he was wearing Aidan Hutchinson on his back. The Bears brought in Darnell Wright to correct the right tackle situation but a rookie going against Hutchinson will need to prove himself.

Green Bay Packers

"Ownership rights" cannot be transfered and Aaron Rodgers is gone, so the Bears no longer need to worry about their greatest mismatch issue when facing the Packers.

They have another problem, though. Running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon remain and the Bears ranked next to last stopping the run last year. In fact, they gave up more than 170 yards rushing in both games against the Packers. In the first game, Jones ran for 132 yards and in the second the Packers had 175 yards, with Dillon getting 93 and wide receiver Christian Watson breaking an end-around 46 yards for a TD.

Defending the run will be a base problem for the Bears until they prove they have it solved. Andrew Billings at nose tackle and the additions of Walker and Green were moves to make the Bears more stout. Eventually Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens could do this, too, but nothing can be assumed with rookies—especially with rookies who weren't first-round picks. Although they brought in the league's best pass defender at linebacker in Tremaine Edmunds, based on Pro Football Focus ranking, he was only 53rd stopping the run.

The other issue the Bears have had with Green Bay has been beating its pass coverage but the Packers secondary faltered late last year and it's possible Justin Fields and DJ Moore combine for an edge they need to get beyond this issue. However, they've also had trouble blocking the Packers edge rushers. Preston Smith has had 6 1/2 sacks in eight Packer games against the Bears and Rashan Gary had a sack in the lone game he played against the Bears last year. The Bears offensive line could have the same issue with Green Bay's pass rush that they have with Detroit's—young tackles trying to hold off edge rushers.

Minnesota Vikings

No one in the division has an answer for Justin Jefferson, and even when the Bears put Jaylon Johnson on him trying to shadow all over the field, it hasn't worked. They'd be better off in straight zone on Jefferson with rookie Tyrique Stevenson playing one of the corners. The only way to beat Jefferson is to get the ball out of Kirk Cousins' hand too fast or simply dump him on his rear. The Bears were last in sacks last year, have no defensive ends who ever had more than seven sacks in a season and their interior rush is still a question. Making matters worse for the Bears on pass defense is the addition of Jordan Addison to a receiver group that includes much-improved K.J. Osborn and tight end T.J. Hockenson. It's difficult to see how the Vikings helped their running game by getting rid of Dalvin Cook but they may not need to run, even against a team with a solid secondary like the Bears have. If only the Bears had a pass rush to get in Cousins' face.

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