It’s hard for people to take the Chicago Bears seriously this year. They have one of the worst offenses in the NFL and all five of their wins have been by seven points or less. Their 5-1 record is undeniable but in the minds of many, they’ve received some fortuitous bounces along the way. Is it just a matter of time before they fall apart?
Nick Foles doesn’t think so. The veteran quarterback took over as the starter in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons. He fully admits the team has won some ugly games. That doesn’t matter though. What matters is they’ve found ways to win. That is what good teams do. It’s not like they feasted on cupcakes either. Their two most recent victories were against Tampa Bay and Carolina. Both were on three-game winning streaks at the time. Bad teams don’t do things like that.
One man who agrees? Hall of Fame former head coach Tony Dungy.
He called into The Rich Eisen Show recently to discuss the state of the NFL. When the subject of the Bears came up, he expressed supreme optimism that this team is capable of making a run. Why? A few key factors.
- Their defense is outstanding, returning close to their 2018 form.
- The NFC doesn’t appear to be stacked like in previous years.
- Nick Foles is the exact kind of quarterback they need.
To that last point he indicated that while Foles isn’t going to be flashy, he has two ingredients that are perfect for this team. He has thick skin to weather the criticism in Chicago and he understands his job is to complement the defense, which is the driving force of this team.
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The evidence is there for the Chicago Bears
Nobody has paid attention to this point but Foles has indeed adhered to the formula outlined before the season began. All the offense had to do was score around 20 points per game and with this defense, they’d likely win most of them. In the past two games, Foles has put up 20 and 23 points respectively. Chicago won both of them.
It isn’t about style. It’s about substance. Foles believes this team has a lot of substance and it’s hard to argue with that. The Bears have three double-digit comebacks in six games. Another saw them hold on to win in a goal-to-go stand. They stopped Tom Brady on 4th down in primetime. This is a battle-tested ball club.
One that isn’t even playing its best football.
Should they make the playoffs as hoped, these tight victories will serve them well. No amount of high-pressure situations will make them flinch. The defense is terrific in the red zone. Their quarterback is unflappable. The head coach never feels they’re out of a game even when trailing big. It feels like the recipe is there for the Chicago Bears to be a player in January.
Dungy is right. If this trend continues into the winter, they will end up being that team nobody wants to play.