Did anybody think the Chicago Bears would be leading the NFC North after the first quarter of this season? Of course not. They all fell into the same trap they always do. They viewed this team as a perennial loser who seemed comfortable in last place. The NFC North was the playground of the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Nothing will ever change that.
That’s not how the NFL works. What happened the year before doesn’t matter. It’s irrelevant. Teams change a lot over the period of one offseason and with that so do their chances of winning. The Vikings were supposed to be a Super Bowl favorite. They’re 1-2-1 with their once great defense in shambles. The Lions are finally back to being the Lions. Green Bay is still who they’ve been for years. A team geared around the health of one man.
The Bears have looked like a team that is vastly improved and capable of playing against anybody. That was not the case last year. Even so, it’s difficult to sway the hearts and minds of people. To make them believers. Has Chicago done that yet with their strong start?
Chicago Bears are making believers out of the national media
ESPN has always been mostly filled with experts who aren’t big Bears guys. Most of the things they write tend to be pessimistic or downright critical of this team. It would appear that’s begun changing. Five of their top NFL specialists were polled with a simple question. Are you buying or selling the Bears as legit NFC playoff contenders?
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Four of the five writers declared they were buying this team. While they all remain cautious about Mitch Trubisky and his continued development, each declared that this team will hang in every game because of their emerging defense. Perhaps it was Mina Kimes who put it best.
“Buying. The defense has been absolutely dominant, ranking first in the league in sack ratio, interception rate, yards per rush allowed … you name it. Trubisky finally showed this week that he can take advantage of Nagy’s quarterback-friendly scheme, and if he continues to take steps in the right direction, this team will look scary come January.”
It’s hard to argue.
After pasting the Buccaneers last Sunday, the Bears offered a glimpse of their limitless potential. Mike Singletary recently called them the most complete team in the NFC North. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to call them the most complete team in the NFC period. The defense is dominant and the offense, while still finding its way, has enough talent to go against anybody.
They’re 3-1 but most forget they should be 4-0 if not for a painful collapse in the opener against Green Bay. That early lesson seems to be driving them forward, keeping them focused on taking everything one game at a time. They hammered Seattle the next week, executed a big comeback over Arizona and finally thrashed the Bucs.
The next quarter of their schedule is against the AFC East which features three teams in the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins who are all reeling at the moment. Maybe it really is time to buy that Bears stock.
