NEWSLETTER
In Week 12, the Chicago Bears had front-row seats and a good look at a team that evolved into a Super Bowl contender because its first-round quarterback received the necessary help in the form of playmakers on the outside and took his game to another level.
But what if I told you there was a more apt comparison that could serve as inspiration for the 2018 Bears?
The NFL is a copycat league and JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago offers up the 2017 Los Angeles Rams as an alternative to the Philadelphia Eagles juggernaut when it comes to dream turnaround seasons. Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times sings a similar tune, opining that the Rams “continue to be the most appealing case history for the Bears.”
And why not?
Jared Goff was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and was seated on the bench to start the season, only to emerge as the starter midway through the season. Goff played poorly, throwing more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (5) en route to an 0-7 record.
Mitch Trubisky was the first quarterback taken in the 2017 NFL Draft, started the season on the bench, emerged as the team’s start in Week 5, and – while better than Goff – hasn’t played like one would expect of a No. 2 overall pick.
For the Rams to push Goff into the next stage of his development, the organization had to jettison a long-time NFL head coach with decades of experience in order to unlock their quarterback’s potential.
For the Bears to lead Trubisky into the second phase of his career, the franchise has to … well, you get the picture.
The Rams went outside-the-box for its coaching hire, unleashing Head Coach Sean McVay, Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur, and Quarterbacks Coach Greg Olson to coach up the team’s most important player. Goff’s turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. He is a top candidate for the NFL’s MVP award and the Rams enter Week 13 with a division-leading 8-3 record.
For a closer look at the Rams, they’ll play the Arizona Cardinals at 3:25 central in what looks to be a changing-of-the-guard kind of game in the NFC West.
Save for that whole leaving St. Louis for sunny California, the Bears seem well on their way to following in the Rams’ footsteps. Head Coach John Fox has been on the hot seat for quite some time now. It’s only getting hotter amid reports earlier in the week that had the Bears front office already in possession of a list of future head coach targets. The list did not include Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, whose future with the team is in doubt after he declined an extension. Josh McDaniels is a name that did pop up on the list, but there seems to be a drop-off in high-end candidates if he doesn’t land in Chicago.
Sunday’s game against San Francisco feels like a beginning-of-the-end of sorts for this current Bears regime as the future starts to come into focus.
