Bears 2021 Season Recap
by Kris_06905 | 3 years ago | 0 Comments
The SFL Bears 2021 Season Recap
The SFL Bears 2021 season has ended with the team missing the playoffs for season 42 of the league. Coach Mynatt predicted that a 7-win season was likely based on several factors going into the season. The team did finish with the predicted 7 wins, but no more. The 7-10 record will not be acceptable moving forward in the Madden 22 cycle.
Despite the disappointment in not reaching the playoffs and finishing last in the NFC North (by virtue of the tie-breakers with the Vikings), it wasn't all bad for the Bears. The team did post a top 10 scoring offense with 476 points scored. The team was led on offense by rookie QB Justin Fields, who turned in one of the best performances by a 1st year player at the QB position in league history. Fields threw for a mind-boggling 5,362 yards and 40 TDs. He averaged 315 yards per game. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement in Fields' game. He threw 38 INTs and was sacked 43 times. The sacks resulted from an average (at best) offensive line and the fact that the Bears were playing from behind in most of their games, but the hope going into the season was that Fields mobility would cut down on sacks. The scary thing is that it may have. The offensive line is a huge concern that will have to be fixed for the team to have any long-term success with Fields. However, even with subpar WRs and offensive line play, the Bears were still a top 10 offense, so imagine what they could do with some playmakers.
Another bright spot on offense was 2nd year RB David Montgomery. He led the team in rushing with 252 carries, 1,216 yards, and 15 TDs. He was also the team's leading receiver in catches, with 71, and added 865 yards and 4 TDs. His yards from scrimmage totaled 2,081 yards and 19 TDs. Again, these numbers came running behind a subpar offensive line, so if the front office can improve that position, the future looks solid in the Bears' backfield.
The wide receiver position was solid, but no one stood out as a valid number 1. Jakeem Grant Sr. led the team in receiving yards with 973. He also added 7 TDs. 2nd-year wideout Darnell Mooney had a respectable 889 yards but only 4 TDs. The most consistent play at WR came from 38-year-old veteran Larry Fitzgerald, who didn't join the team until week 6. He managed 42 catches, 582 yards, and 7 TDs. Most importantly, he brought some stability to the WR group. At 38, it is unclear whether the Bears would seek to keep Fitzgerald for the 2022 season, and he hasn't said if he plans to retire. Several of the 2021 WRs were on 1-year contracts, so it is safe to assume that next season's WR group may look completely different.
TE Cole Kmet led the team in TD receptions with 8 and had 602 yards. His play improved significantly as the season progressed, and the front office hopes that he will blossom in 2022.
On defense, the Bears were sporadic. Roquan Smith had a breakout season, led the league in solo tackles with 94, and was 3rd in the league with 144 total tackles. Smith also had 25 TFL, which was 2nd on the team to Khalil Mack's 26. Speaking of Mack, his numbers for the season look good on paper, but his season was inconsistent at best. He finished the season with 14.5 sacks, 2 FR, and a TD, along with his team-leading 26 TFLs, but he was a non-factor in multiple games during the season. He will be 31 next season, and age may be catching up with him. Eddie Jackson finished the season with 121 tackles and a team-leading 5 INTs. Unfortunately, the team only managed 21 INTs on defense in a season where QBs were handing out picks like candy on Halloween. The team hopes to improve those numbers for 2022 and will have to in order to be competitive. Jaylon Johnson had a solid season with 63 tackles and 4 INTs, but the rest of the secondary was unimpressive.
Special teams' play was adequate in 2021. Cairo Santos was 14-19 on his FG tries with a long of 57. He was 2-3 from 50+ on the season. He made 56 of 58 XP attempts. Pat O'Donnell was only called on to punt 37 times in large part because the offense turned the ball over a league-leading 47 times. Tarik Cohen had a 100-yard kickoff return TD and finished tied with 6 others in kickoff TDs.
This coming off-season, the Bears will look to fill multiple holes on both sides of the ball. The offensive line, WR, TE, DB, are all priorities for 2022. The team has about 50 million in available cap space for 2022, so look for them to be active in the offseason. The NFC North looks highly competitive for the Madden 22 cycle, so this offseason will go a long way towards determining how well the Bears perform the rest of the way.