Halas Intrigue Bears Report: Previewing Week 17 vs. Vikings

The Bears hope to finish on a positive note (and with a .500 record) in the season finale against the Vikings.

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The Bears likely will keep kicker Eddy Pineiro for 2020.

The Bears likely will keep kicker Eddy Pineiro for 2020.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

The good:The Bears can still finish with a .500 record and end a disappointing season on a high note.

The bad:After opening the season with Super Bowl aspirations, the Bears will finish in third place in the NFC North.

The ugly:The entire season has been nothing but ugly and frustrating for the players, coaches and fans.

Let’s get to it ...

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Offense: What’s the plan for 2020?

The Bears’ offense has provided one disappointment after another this season. From coach Matt Nagy’s play-calling to the performance of quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But a total upheaval is unlikely to create any improvement next season, so the Bears probably need to stick with Trubisky.

General manager Ryan Pace, though, might be another story.

Did you know?

  • In almost five seasons under GM Ryan Pace, the Bears are tied with the Dolphins for the eighth-worst record in the NFL at 33-46. The Bears are also one of 13 teams that hasn’t won a playoff game during his tenure.
  •  A victory Sunday would give coach Matt Nagy win No. 20, which would surpass George Halas (19, 1920-21) for the most wins by a Bears head coach in his first two seasons
  •  With one game left, WR Allen Robinson needs one catch to reach 90 for the season, which has been accomplished only seven times in Bears history. He also needs 124 yards to reach 1,200, a feat accomplished only six times in franchise history.

Defense: Steady as she goes

While the Bears will spend the offseason reassessing the offense, defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and his staff figure to have fewer offseason questions to deal with.

The Bears haven’t been dominant enough to make Pagano an alluring head-coaching candidate, particularly in a league with a decided offensive inclination. Including coaches, the Bears will return a defense in 2020 that looks a lot like this season’s.

Did you know?

  • Only four teams are allowing fewer than the Bears’ 18.6 points per game this season, and only five are yielding fewer than their 5.04 yards per play. But their 16 takeaways are tied for 25th in the league.
  • LB Khalil Mack has 21.0 sacks since the start of last season, which is the most by a Bears player in his first two years with the team. Richard Dent held the previous mark with 20.5 in his first two seasons from 1983-84

Special teams: No more kicker circus

Last offseason’s collective hand-wringing focused around the kicking game. That shouldn’t be the case this offseason after kicker Eddy Pineiro received a vote of confidence from coach Matt Nagy.

“I think we’re in a good place with him right now,” Nagy said of Pineiro. “I think if there’s one storyline that we take out of this [it’s that] kickers are going to have some tough times, not only kicking at Soldier Field, but just the kicking world in general.”

“I like what he has done all year long,” Nagy said. 

Did you know?

  • Pineiro is 19-for-24 on field goals, ranking 21st in the NFL at 79.2 percent. He is under contract for $660,000 next season, and the Bears seem intent on sticking with him.
  • Punter Pat O’Donnell is second in the NFL with 78 punts this season (the Jets’ Lachlan Edwards is tops with 82). But O’Donnell is 23rd with a 44.6-yard average.

What they’re saying

  • Despite Monday night’s loss to the Packers, the Vikings — who are locked into the No. 6 seed for the NFC playoffs — are feeling confident about their postseason chances.
  • With a number of players dealing with injuries and their playoff position set, the Vikings could decide to rest some of their regulars.

From our notebooks

  • Our experts make their Bears-Vikings predictions.
  • Offensive miscues have tested Matt Nagy’s positivity, writes Mark Potash.
  • Linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski showed a lot of promise with his performance in place of Roquan Smith in Week 4 against the Vikings and in seven games in place of Danny Trevathan.
  • The Bears and Vikings are meeting for the 118th time in a rivalry that started in 1961. The Vikings lead the series 60-55-2. The Bears are riding a three-game winning streak against the Vikings, including a 16-6 victory at Soldier Field in Week 4. 

What’s next?

  • The NFL Draft is scheduled to be held April 23-25 in Paradise, Nevada.
  • Dates have not been set, but the Bears will face 2019 playoff teams the Saints, Titans and Texans in 2020.

On the podcast

In the latest edition of Halas Intrigue, Patrick Finley, Mark Potash and Jason Lieser talk about potential Bears changes afoot once they play their final regular-season game Sunday.

Listen here


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