The 2016 Chicago Bears
by ChiTownSuperFan | 8 years ago | 0 Comments
The Monsters Are Back
Intro
Coming off of a disappointing 5-11 season in 2015, the Chicago Bears weren’t expected to have much success in 2016. But hopes were high in Chicago. The Bears picked shored up their linebacker corps in the off-season by signing Danny Trevathan from Denver and Jerrell Freeman from Indianapolis. The defense was expected to be better, but not an elite defense. Fans were excited to see the likes of first round pick OLB Leonard Floyd, second round pick center Cody Whitehair, and fifth round pick RB Jordan Howard.
Week 1 at Houston (CHI 28 - HOU 30) (0-1)
The first game of the season was a hard fought loss. The Texans’ defense created chaos for Jay Cutler. He was intercepted twice while only throwing one touchdown. Jordan Howard had an excellent NFL debut, running for 90 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns.
Week 2 vs Philadelphia (PHI 13 - CHI 17) (1-1)
Week 2, the Bears’ first game on national television. Jay Cutler had a terrible outing against the Eagles throwing four interceptions and no touchdowns. Brian Hoyer would enter the game but ended up breaking his arm after only three plays. The broken arm would end Brian Hoyer’s season. This game would begin the trend of the Bears defense carrying the team throughout the season.
Week 3 at Dallas (CHI 21 - DAL 27) (1-2)
The Bears would head to Dallas for Sunday Night Football and came up just short in the national spotlight. Jay Cutler had his first game without an interception. But Jordan Howard would suffer a severe injury causing him to miss an extended period of time. Jeremy Langford would take over the starting running back role until his return.
Week 4 vs Detroit (DET 23 - CHI 35) (2-2)
The Chicago Bears’ defense would prove to the league that they were an elite defense, taking the ball away five times and taking three back for touchdowns. Rookie DB Deiondre Hall would return two interceptions for touchdowns in this game.
Week 5 at Indianapolis (CHI 19 - IND 16) (3-2)
Another hard fought victory for the Bears. The Bears would see their starting QB Jay Cutler get injured on a blatant late hit from a Colts defender. Newly signed QB Bryce Petty would finish the game for the Bears.
Week 6 vs Jacksonville (JAX 20 - CHI 17) (3-3)
After losing two QB’s to injured reserve, the Bears traded their 2017 3rd round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for young QB Trevor Siemian. Siemian would put up a decent game in his first start as a Chicago Bear, but it wouldn’t be enough to beat the Jags.
Week 7 at Green Bay (CHI 27 - GB 24) (4-3)
Trevor Siemian would start this game but would be pulled after throwing two interceptions early in the game, one being returned for a touchdown. Bryce Petty would enter the game and take over at QB. The Bears would win this game on the strength of their defense and Jeremy Langford.
Week 8 vs Minnesota (MIN 11 - CHI 30) (5-3)
The Vikings came into Soldier Field undefeated but would be handed their first loss of the season by the Bears. The Bears defense would abuse the Vikings with multiple sacks and five takeaways. Trevor Siemian would have his best game of the season. He had a perfect passer rating and four touchdown passes.
Week 10 at Tampa Bay (CHI 19 - TB 10) (6-3)
The Bears travelled to tampa and fought through the rain to pull of their third straight victory. Jordan Howard returned from his injury and carried the Bears to Victory.
Week 11 at New York Giants (CHI 17 - NYG 3) (7-3)
Trevor Siemian had a solid game with two touchdown passes. The defense held the Giants to only three points. This game started their three game streak of not allowing a touchdown.
Week 12 vs Tennessee (TEN 3 - CHI 34) (8-3)
The Titans were dominated by the Bears the entire game. Trevor Siemian and Jordan Howard lead the offense to one of their highest scoring games of the season. Willie Young would have a pick 6 off of Marcus Mariota early in the game.
Week 13 vs San Francisco (SF 6 - CHI 14) (9-3)
The winless 49ers came into Soldier Field hoping for their first win of the season. The 49ers put up a good fight in a close defensive battle but would come up short. The Bears defense held the 9ers to just two field goals after strong goal-line stands.
Week 14 at Detroit (CHI 24 - DET 10) (10-3)
The Bears defense continued to dominate any opponent that stood in their path. This game was the first touchdown that they allowed in a month. Howard and Siemian would lead the Bears to their seventh straight victory.
Week 15 vs Green Bay (GB 21 - CHI 19) (10-4)
The Packers defense completely shut down the Bears running attack. The Bears were forced to pass the ball but were not able to win. Their 6 game win streak would come to an end. Although the Bears lost, they clinched a playoff berth due to the Rams losing.
Week 16 vs Washington (WAS 0 - CHI 24) (11-4)
The Bears defense put up their best effort of the season by shutting out the Washington Redskins. This win would help them on their way to winning the NFC North.
Week 17 at Minnesota (CHI 35 - MIN 10) (12-4)
This game would be the most important of the season. The winner would win the NFC North and clinch the 3rd seed in the playoffs. The Bears defense dominated the Vikings offense yet again and forced six turnovers. The Bears beat the Vikings and claimed the NFC North Title. The Bears would face the Vikings again in the Wildcard Round.
Playoffs
Wildcard Round vs Minnesota (MIN 18 - CHI 28)
The Bears went into this game with a very conservative game plan. They were able to establish the run with Jordan Howard and Trevor Siemian was able to make the throws when it mattered most. The Bears led 14-10 at halftime. After a tightly contested first half, the Vikings made a critical mistake. Bears safety Kyshoen Jarrett forced a fumble on Adrian Peterson and star Bears’ linebacker Pernell McPhee took it back for a sixty yard touchdown. The Bears never looked back and won the game 28-18. They were set to take on the Falcons in the Georgia Dome for the Divisional Round. The Bears delivered their fans a home playoff win for the first time in years.
Divisional Round at Atlanta (CHI 13 - ATL 28)
The Bears were the underdogs heading into this matchup against a very tough Falcons team led by high powered attack of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. The Bears’ offense never got much going during the entire game. Julio Jones dominated the Chicago secondary all day catching two touchdowns. Matt Ryan placed a well placed pass right over top of Bears’ safety Adrian Amos to Julio Jones in the back of the end zone. This score would be the back-breaker for the Bears. Quarterback struggles from Trevor Siemian, Jay Cutler, and even Bryce Petty cost the Bears the win. The Falcons would win the game 28-13 without much opposition from the Bears. It was a bitter defeat, but the future looks bright for the young Bears.
Summary
Final Record: 13-5
Offense
Points - 23.0 (20th)
Yards - 286.1 (29th)
P. Yards - 186.4 (30th)
R. Yards - 99.8 (9th)
Defense
Points - 14.0 (1st)
Yards - 253.4 (2nd)
P. Yards - 197.7 (3rd)
R. Yards - 61.7 (6th)
Pro-Bowlers
RG Kyle Long
OLB Pernell McPhee
P Pat O’ Donnell
Trades
Received: QB Trevor Siemian (DEN)
Gave: 3rd Round Pick
Received: C Mike Pouncey (MIA) 2nd Round Pick (MIA)
Gave: OLB Lamar Houston, 3rd Round Pick
Received: CB Logan Ryan (NE)
Gave: WR Kevin White, CB Bryce Callahan
What’s Next?
The Bears look to reload after this great season. They hope to grab a few more key pieces in free agency and the draft in order to make another deep playoff run. A major question still remains. Who will be the Bears starting QB in 2017? Trevor Siemian started most of the year and struggled at times. An aging Jay Cutler is likely out of the door after a disappointing season. Bryce Petty showed some flashes of talent when he was given the opportunity. The Bears hope to continue winning in the future and hopefully bring the Lombardi back to Chicago.
“Someday we’ll go all the way.”
-Eddie Vedder