An Unbearable Season For Chicago Bears Fans

An Unbearable Season For Chicago Bears Fans

The 2023–24 NFL season has had several upsets in only eight weeks, but none compare to the unbelievable struggle the Chicago Bears had in the National Football Conference (NFC) North. This season, the beloved Chicago team is struggling with a record of 4 (wins) and 8 (losses), remaining at the bottom of the bracket consisting of the Packers, Lions, and Vikings. According to the Bleacher Report and ESPN data, the Bears were only successful in 2018 and 2020, the years they won the NFC and made the playoffs, respectively. However, in the last two years, the Bears have gone 9 in 25, resulting in a 4% drop in win percentage for the team. Even in 2022, the Bears had a similar performance to the worst in the NFL at 3 in 14, so expecting them to make a comeback this fast is highly illogical. 

However, all hope is not lost for the Bears, as data suggests a performance boost is coming with the growth of individual players on the team. In the previous season, Quarterback Justin Fields and Safety Eddie Jackson showed incredible growth among a team of improving players. Fields increased his touchdown percentage from 2.6% to 5.2%, reduced his interception chance to 3.5%, and overall, his quarterback rating jumped to 85.2 from 73.2. Eddie Jackson was among the top defensive specialists on the Bears, as he had a tackle-filled season last year despite the Bears’ worst performance ever, with 80 in just 12 games. His peak performance was in 2019. However, after his foot injury in 2021, he had his career-worst figures, so it is a delight to see him perform well again. The Bears also signed experienced linebackers in the NFC, including Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edmunds, who could play a great role in leadership on the field and accompany the rookies very well. 

Draft Kings claim an unpromising season for the Bears again in 2023 despite these gains, but they also believe the 2024 season could likely be the bounce back they needed. This season will be a transition for the Bears. Even with the poor start, there are still many weeks left in the season, and depending on these, the Bears could finish with a respectable score, or if this trend continues, it could result in another step back to the drawing board. For this reason, the Bears even making the playoffs this season is a longshot, and if it happened, they would likely not make it out of the first round. If they pull it off, though, Chicago fans could be tuned in for an exciting performance.