The Bears '25 preseason

[Lake Shore Drive]

The hype is real:

NFL Scout Believes Chicago Bears Steal The Division

The Chicago Bears came in dead last in the division last year. Some in the NFL think they'll flip the script this time around.

www.sportsmockery.com

Yes, the hype is real, but reality doesn't support the hype. Still, it's fun to be excited about our team's fortunes, even if we're still a season or two away from being considered annual contenders.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Another year of offseason champs/regular season chumps or will this '25 campaign be different?

Another offseason won, so what are the realistic expectations for the Chicago Bears in 2025?

Following a three-year stretch with just 15 combined wins, the Chicago Bears made sweeping changes this offseason. While most of the pieces appear to be in place, what are realistic expectations for Year 1 of Ben Johnson

www.windycitygridiron.com

Nicely detailed article discussing the pros & cons of our current roster makeup and what should be realistic expectations. I think there's little doubt that this is an improved roster, with the biggest improvement belonging to our OL. But then again, it was our weakest last year, so just about any change would have been labeled an improvement.

At a minimum, the goal should be a winning record in 2025.

So declares this article. It's fair to think with this improved roster, we should be able to go at least 9-8. Still, we're talking about our beloved Bears here.

 

[wood20ks]

Another year of offseason champs/regular season chumps or will this '25 campaign be different?

Another offseason won, so what are the realistic expectations for the Chicago Bears in 2025?

Following a three-year stretch with just 15 combined wins, the Chicago Bears made sweeping changes this offseason. While most of the pieces appear to be in place, what are realistic expectations for Year 1 of Ben Johnson

www.windycitygridiron.com

Nicely detailed article discussing the pros & cons of our current roster makeup and what should be realistic expectations. I think there's little doubt that this is an improved roster, with the biggest improvement belonging to our OL. But then again, it was our weakest last year, so just about any change would have been labeled an improvement.

At a minimum, the goal should be a winning record in 2025.

So declares this article. It's fair to think with this improved roster, we should be able to go at least 9-8. Still, we're talking about our beloved Bears here.

I do believe we are well improved in some areas,needed more def imo,and that scedule looks awfully rough.....
If we lose fine,just be competetive......don't look like a horrible team doing it.
So Im really not sure what to think.......

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I do believe we are well improved in some areas,needed more def imo,and that scedule looks awfully rough.....
If we lose fine,just be competetive......don't look like a horrible team doing it.
So Im really not sure what to think.......

I'm kinda the same way. I know we have a better roster than last year, but how much better? And no doubt this year's schedule is tougher than last year's, and we only won 5 games with that one. I said it before, just check out our road schedule, it's a mean SOB.

 

[averagejoe]

In 2021 the Lions finished 3-13-1 and then hired Ben Johnson as their OC. Notice how the Lions offense improved with pretty much the same players (Goff, St. Brown, Swift, & Jamaal Williams) in 2022.


Notice the points, yards and rankings before and after. Now look at the similarities and how the Bears finished last year.


Can we expect the same mathematical increases? We shall see.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

In 2021 the Lions finished 3-13-1 and then hired Ben Johnson as their OC. Notice how the Lions offense improved with pretty much the same players (Goff, St. Brown, Swift, & Jamaal Williams) in 2022.
View attachment 399885

Notice the points, yards and rankings before and after. Now look at the similarities and how the Bears finished last year.
View attachment 399886

Can we expect the same mathematical increases? We shall see.

Good stuff. I like a target of 6000 total yards for the Bears to qualify them as a solid offense. Only 11 teams accomplished this last season. But that would require an increase of 1180 yards to reach it, which is probably a bit much to ask for a year-year gain.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Have we finally reached stop sucking status?

Why the 2025 Chicago Bears Might Finally Stop Sucking

Chicago Bears 2025 preview: Five reasons to believe this team is primed for a major turnaround. From Ben Johnson to Caleb Williams — here’s why.

www.sportsmockery.com

I normally view articles from Sports Mockery as gossip fodder, NFL style. But this one's a good read containing some nice details and analytics. I think most, if not all Bears fans, firmly believe that our team bottomed out last season, especially when taking into account the offseason we've had so far. I still remain quite reluctant to think we can even have a winning season, let alone double figure wins and/or a playoff run. But at least the foundation for future success is finally in place.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

PFF provided projected grades for our starting offense:

MSN

Overall, a decent outlook. But what's impressive are the numbers for our OL, assuming of course they're relatively in the ballpark:

• LT Braxton Jones - 77.4
• LG Joe Thuney - 80.0
• C Drew Dalman - 78.8
• RG Jonah Jackson - 67.6
• RT Darnell Wright - 79.3

Not bad at all. Now let's see if the line can match its projection.

 

[justanidiot]

I really hope it worked that way. Its a big jump to completely focus on offense on game day and have the responsibilities as head coach to pay attention to the rest of the game. We never see a different coach being assigned the challenge flag, but we usually see someone other than the head coach communicating with the Quarterback when the defense is on the field. I always use the stupid portion of my brain to post here, but I think a huge leap would be having Dennis Allen being completely in charge when the defense is on the field, but ego usually does not allow that to happen. People spend their whole day on ear buds, so I am sure Ben can stay in touch with the game and talk to Caleb, but that is the big difference between an OC changing teams and an OC becoming the head coach.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I really hope it worked that way. Its a big jump to completely focus on offense on game day and have the responsibilities as head coach to pay attention to the rest of the game. We never see a different coach being assigned the challenge flag, but we usually see someone other than the head coach communicating with the Quarterback when the defense is on the field. I always use the stupid portion of my brain to post here, but I think a huge leap would be having Dennis Allen being completely in charge when the defense is on the field, but ego usually does not allow that to happen. People spend their whole day on ear buds, so I am sure Ben can stay in touch with the game and talk to Caleb, but that is the big difference between an OC changing teams and an OC becoming the head coach.

I like to think this is exacly why Ben hired Allen, a former HC himself, for the DC spot. Obviously a HC has to be kept clued in on all facets of his team at all times, but I'm trusting that Allen's gonna run the D the way he sees fit. It seems apparent now that 4th rd surprise Hippolite was pretty much an Allen pick. And it's not like Ben is going with someone who's just stepping into the DC role for the first time. Besides, he'll have his hands full with the offense.

 

[BearsWillWin]

I always use the stupid portion of my brain to post here,

Your whole brain is stupid.

but I think a huge leap would be having Dennis Allen being completely in charge when the defense is on the field, but ego usually does not allow that to happen.

It has nothing to do with ego. A head coaches job is to be a head coach. A DC's job is to be the DC. Not hard to figure out.

Dennis Allen, I assume, will run the defense with little to nothing in the way of interference from Ben Johnson. That's why you hire someone like Allen that you can trust to keep his side of the ball locked down.

But Ben Johnson is the Head Coach. He's being paid like one and he should be expected to act like one.

It's the OC and QB coaches job to be in Caleb's ear on the sideline. That's what they get paid for.

Welcome to football.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

This is a bit interesting:

Bears rookie Ozzy Trapilo said learning left tackle easier than right tackle

Bears rookie Ozzy Trapilo admitted that learning left tackle was easier than learning right tackle in college.

bearswire.usatoday.com

Not sure if Ozzy's being truthful or simply saying this because LT is the only spot on the line where he has a shot at starting. I hope it's the former because I'd like to think he's quickly getting the position down pat. If he really does have a legit shot at starting, the faster he learns the details of the position, the better.

“I don’t go flow state like I do if I were to go on the right side" - If anyone here understands OLspeak, please explain that line, because I haven't a clue what it means.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

So the question here is can we go from an elite D back in '23 to a shit show in '24, then return to elite in '25?

Chicago Bears 2025 Defensive Line Outlook: From Dumpster Fire to Wrecking Crew?

After a brutal 2024 season, the Chicago Bears' defensive line has been rebuilt from the studs. Here's a no-BS breakdown of what to expect in 2025.

www.sportsmockery.com

The realistic answer might be somewhere in the middle, altho the beefed up D hopefully ends up leaning toward the elite side. There are some decent arguments to be made here as to why a rebound is more likely than not. Yet one potential factor not taken into account is how well or poorly the offense performs. As the old saying goes, the best friend to a good defense is a good offense (and vice versa). Playing more often with a lead than what transpired last year could go a long way toward the D achieving better results.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

For you local yokels who have the pleasure of being close enough to attend Bears practices, here is everything you need to know, but were afraid to ask about this summer's training camp:

Chicago Bears 2025 training camp schedule: Everything to know

The Chicago Bears have announced 12 open practices for 2025 training camp. Here's everything you need to know.

bearswire.usatoday.com

Glad to see them back at Halas Hall.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

When AI and Cro-Magnon meld into one:

MSN

It's one thing for an AI to predict the Bears going 11-6, but naming it Grok gives off severe GEICO vibes.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Should we pre-order our Bears Super Bowl LX Champions shirts now?

The Chicago Bears Just Built Their Most Dangerous Offense in a Decade

Let’s kill the noise right now: the 2025 Chicago Bears haven’t had offensive weapons this legit since Jay Cutler was slinging it to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. And no, this isn’t some offseason hype-fest to make you feel better before another 7-10 disaster. This is real data, hard...

www.sportsmockery.com

Don't get me wrong, I love me some good old fashioned hype and I count myself as a certified Bears homer. However, that homerism is very much grounded in reality.

 

[Jiddy]

Should we pre-order our Bears Super Bowl LX Champions shirts now?

The Chicago Bears Just Built Their Most Dangerous Offense in a Decade

Let’s kill the noise right now: the 2025 Chicago Bears haven’t had offensive weapons this legit since Jay Cutler was slinging it to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. And no, this isn’t some offseason hype-fest to make you feel better before another 7-10 disaster. This is real data, hard...

www.sportsmockery.com

Don't get me wrong, I love me some good old fashioned hype and I count myself as a certified Bears homer. However, that homerism is very much grounded in reality.

It seems like every season sports mediots come up with 8 billion reasons why we should be good with some off the beaten path rationale. They do this with our individual players as well-particularly our QB's. Grain of salt stuff.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

It seems like every season sports mediots come up with 8 billion reasons why we should be good with some off the beaten path rationale. They do this with our individual players as well-particularly our QB's. Grain of salt stuff.

It's that annual preseason hype knowing when every team is undefeated and there's hope that this could be the year they reach the top. It's that way for all sports fans and their respective teams (unless you're a White Sox fan). What I like about this board and all Sports SportsHoopla in general is the guys who post on behalf of their clubs tend to be much more grounded in reality than other sites. You should see some of the predictions from fans on YouTube, they can be hilariously homeristic.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

So which Bears coach not named Ben Johnson will have the biggest impact on our team's fortunes in '25:

Bears new coach (not named Ben Johnson) who will have biggest impact in 2025

Our staff discussed the Chicago Bears coach (not named Ben Johnson) who will have the biggest impact in 2025.

bearswire.usatoday.com

In a way, Dennis Allen is almost too easy of an answer. He's the DC after all, so he should have the biggest impact outside of Ben. So if we're to take it to the next level down and come up with a name as to the most impactful coach, who would you have? One of the writers did go with Antwon Randle-El, which I think is a pretty good choice. Another said DB coach Al Harris, again, not bad at all. For me tho, I'm going with Eric Bieniemy, the RB coach. If we're to have any type of success this year, we'll need a big contribution from our running game. He has good leadership qualities and a nice little track record, having won two Super Bowls as the Chiefs RB coach. And to quote Andy Reid after we signed Eric, “He’s the best at a lot of things. He was a great OC, great running back coach. He can coach, really, any position. They’re lucky to have him. He’s a tremendous leader. One of the best leaders I’ve ever been around.” Coming from a future Hall of Famer, that's good enough for me.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Assuming this is true........

MSN

Then we definitely should see an uptick in our won-loss record. They have the OL listed as one position, but regardless this is without question the biggest area of improvement, as in night and day. I also like the bonus as well. I'd go as far as to say it matches or beats any of our positional upgrades.