For the better part of the past decade, the Chicago Bears have looked like an organization struggling to find an identity. They knew who they were under Lovie Smith. After his dismissal in 2013, the crisis began. Marc Trestman, John Fox, and Matt Nagy all failed to establish what they wanted this team to be. When Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles arrived in 2022, one of the first things made clear was their vision for the organization. It was based on the H.I.T.S principle. Every player was expected to hustle, play with intensity, focus on forcing or preventing turnovers and be smart situationally. Some people rolled their eyes at the idea, but Eberflus evidently believed in the approach.
The key was finding players who would buy in. After three off-seasons of work, the Bears seem to think they’ve built that exact roster. Signs of progress began popping up in the second half of last season. After a 1-4 start, the team finished 6-6 down the stretch. If not for a couple of rough 4th quarter collapses, they easily could’ve gone 8-4. Since the end of the season, they’ve added new faces like Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, Caleb Williams, and Rome Odunze. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog revealed that this has created a shift in the mood at Halas Hall.
People are experiencing something they haven’t felt in a long time.
The Chicago Bears think they’re ready.
Eberflus and Poles knew it would take a few years after tearing everything down to set in the roster and team culture. This team, going into 2024, resembles everything they wanted to build. It has young talent at every position mixed with capable veterans. All of it circles a young quarterback who has all the necessary traits to become a franchise player for years to come. If everybody plays up to their ability, this isn’t a team that might reach a winning record. This is a playoff team. It appears they know that.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
It isn’t about wanting to win anymore. The Chicago Bears expect to win. They got a taste of it last season when they stomped on the eventual NFC North champion Detroit Lions. If they can do that to a team that eventually played in the NFC championship, there is no reason to fear anybody in the NFL. The only thing holding them back was quarterback play. If Williams can improve on what Justin Fields did, which shouldn’t be too difficult, then the Bears will be somebody no one wants to play.
