The Bears are still better than they were before Nagy arrived last year, but the
defensive slip and improvements by the NFC North’s other teams result in a pre-Nagy-like record.
89
× THE NFL’S BEST DEFENSE OF 2018
TAKES A STEP BACK. Coordinator Vic
Fangio left this offseason to take the head
job in Denver, and the Bears will feel the
loss, especially in pass coverage. Fangio’s
scheme, built on befuddling matchup-zone
coverages, was the sound-
est in football. Its presnap
two-deep safety looks and
complex rotations protect-
ed corners Kyle Fuller and
Prince Amukamara and
allowed them to play the
ball aggressively. New co-
ordinator Chuck Pagano is
an accomplished defensive
play-caller, but his system
is built more on blitzing,
which means using one
deep safety and man cov-
erage on the outside. This
change exposes Chicago’s secondary,
which was already weakened this off-
season when the erratic Ha-Ha Clinton-
Dix and Buster Skrine replaced free agents
Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan at free
safety and slot corner, respectively.
× THE FRONT SEVEN MASKS SOME OF
THE DEFENSE’S SLIDE. Linebacker Khalil
Mack and tackle Akiem Hicks are still
superstars, and around them Chicago has
dirty-work run defenders such as dexter-
ous nosetackle Eddie Goldman and outside
linebacker Leonard Floyd. Floyd is skinny
(6' 4", 251 pounds) for his position but im-
proved greatly at setting the edge in 2018.
Electric second-year inside linebacker
Roquan Smith, with his sensational play-
ing speed, flourishes in Pagano’s scheme.
× COACH MAT T NAGY’S OFFENSE EXPANDS
IN HIS SECOND SEASON. His system, built
on presnap motion and postsnap mis-
direction, adds new dimensions with
the continued development of third-year
scatback Tarik Cohen, ’18 second-round
receiver Anthony Miller,
versatile tight end Trey Bur-
ton, speed receiver Taylor
Gabriel and the signing of
gadget weapon Cordarrelle
Patterson. The rhythm that
Nagy’s group has shown on
scripted plays trickles into
more of the nonscripted
ones, and the Bears play
with no-huddle tempo
more often.
× MITCHELL TRUBISKY
DELIVERS MIXED RESULTS.
There’s still a lot to like
about the third-year QB, who is one of
the top out-of- pocket throwers. But with
a weakened D, the Bears need to score
more. Nagy can no longer afford to protect
Trubisky with basic route combinations.
He will have to make more plays from the
pocket, which he does, but his inconsis-
tent footwork and decision making lead
to more mistakes.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
SI’S 2019
PREDICTION
7 – 9
2018 RECORD 12– 4
SEP T. 5
VS. GB
SEP T. 15
@ DEN
SEP T. 23
@ WAS
SEP T. 2 9
VS. MIN
OC T. 6
@ OAK
OC T. 1 3
BYE
OC T. 2 0
VS. NO
OC T. 2 7
VS. LAC
NOV. 3
@ PHI
NOV. 10
VS. DET
NOV. 17
@ LAR
NOV. 24
VS. NYG
NOV. 28
@ DET
DEC. 5
VS. DAL
DEC. 15
@ GB
DEC. 22
VS. KC
DEC. 29
@ MIN
St
re
ng
th
QB
21
RB
22
WR/TE
22
OL
10
FRONT 7
1
DB
17
STA
CY^
REV
ERE
/GE
TT
Y^ IM
AG
ES^
(MA
CK)
;^ JO
HN^
W.^
MC
DO
NO
UG
H
CHICAGO
