What’s Holding the Bears Back in 2025?
The Bears' season has gotten off to a solid start with a 2-2 record. The past two games have helped show the potential that many fans hoped for. With these hopes, there has also been plenty of frustration. This mixture has made it difficult for fans to predict if this will be another painful season or one that the team remains competitive for the full year. In order to shape a competitive season, Chicago first needs to address some of their biggest weaknesses.
Pressure Problem
One of the major issues comes as little surprise to many fans. All offseason, there was a lot of discussion about whether the team needed to sign help on the edge. The answer to this question has been pretty clear so far. Chicago has only gotten five sacks through their first four games. Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo have only combined for two of those despite their high price tags. This lack of production has contributed to the slow start for the defense, as they have just given opposing teams way too long to pass. The team definitely needs to see improvements, especially as the secondary has been plagued by injuries since the start of the year. The Bears have hope that preseason star Austin Booker, who gained serious hype, can provide a spark as he nears a return from injury. Even with Booker's return, the team may need to start looking for outside options to turn the tide for the defense.
Can’t Stop the Run
Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Chicago has had a near-impossible time stopping the run. The team has allowed 164.5 rushing yards per game, which is the second-worst in the league. In their last game, Week Four against the Raiders, they allowed 240 rushing yards. There have been practically no positives in that area of the game all season long. If that is not fixed, then the team will have a difficult time winning many games this season. Similar to the pass rush situation, there is some optimism with the team getting healthier. Linebacker T.J. Edwards is likely to return from injury soon. Unfortunately, besides Booker, the defensive line does not have much reinforcement coming. Edwards' tackling ability should help, but Chicago needs to see some major improvements to make their run defense at least respectable.
Lack of Ground Support
Speaking of the run game, the offense has struggled nearly just as much as the defense. The run game has been almost non-existent as D’Andre Swift has yet to get going, which has been a huge problem for the offense. The team has averaged 102 rushing yards a game, which is the ninth-worst in the league. This absence has put even more pressure on the passing game to keep the offense moving. Opponents have no worries about the rushing game right now, which allows them to focus on shutting down the air attack. Swift has only been able to record 187 yards on 56 carries. If he can not turn his season around, then Chicago needs to begin to explore other options.
Coming out of the bye week, showing some signs of growth in these areas is crucial for the team. However, the season is far from over. There is still plenty of time to fix these weaknesses. The next few weeks will reveal if the Bears can turn the potential into progress or if these flaws will derail the season. Finding a way to tighten up the defense as well as getting a spark going in the run game could turn a season of hope into a positive season under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Every season has a turning point, and for Chicago, this could be the moment to make theirs.
