The Chicago Bears are on the verge of a possible winning season, after having a successful NFL draft and bringing hope back into the city of Chicago. How well can each group do this season? The d-line is shaping up to be one of the biggest defensive strengths for the upcoming season.
Last season, the Bears were an average defensive line. Without the presence of Eddie Goldman and the horrible disappointment that Robert Quinn turned out to be, the group came up with 35 sacks on the year — ranking 17th in the NFL.
They recorded a 6.6 percent sack rate, which was valued just above average in the NFL ranks. On the positive side, the Bears’ d-line was able to allow just 4.17 adjusted rushing yards per attempt, which nearly ranked in the top-10 in the NFL.
The line was extremely efficient at stopping the run on short-run attacks. Meaning, if the first down or the endzone was only a few yards, the Bears were able to stop the attempt more than most teams.
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How is the Bears defensive line shaping up for this year?
The Bears’ defensive line should be the defense’s biggest strength for next season. They have retained most players except for Brent Urban and Barkevious Mingo. The Bears also drafted an additional lineman in the offseason.
The Starters – Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Khalil Mack, and Robert Quinn.
Retaining all of the starters is a key reason this unit should be the biggest strength for the Bears’ defense this season. There were numerous trade rumors surrounding Hicks and plenty of speculation that Eddie Goldman may retire this offseason. However, it seems the unit is over the hump of leaving Chicago and shaping up to be an excellent asset to the team.
Hicks recorded 3.5 sacks, 49 tackles, and 21 quarterback hits last season. Last season certainly wasn’t Hicks’s best year, but it certainly wasn’t the worst either. Bears fans should expect better with Goldman next to his side this season.
Goldman opted out last season due to COVID-19 and was rumored to have been thinking about retiring for a while until head coach Matt Nagy confirmed that Goldman will play this year. In 2019, Goldman recorded one sack, 29 tackles, and two quarterback hits.
Mack certainly improved from his treacherous 2019 outing. He recorded nine sacks, 50 tackles, and 13 quarterback hits. If Robert Quinn and the rest of the line can create some pressure on the opposite side, he should be due for a big year.