The Chicago Bears will open the 2022 NFL season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. But there’s not a lot of confidence that the Bears can best the road favorite 49ers.
We already took a look at some causes for concern heading into the opener. But it’s not all doom and gloom for Chicago heading into this matchup. In fact, there might just be hope. Which could have to do with the new regime or the fact that it’s Week 1.
As the Bears prepare for the 49ers, there are reasons to be encouraged about Chicago heading into Sunday’s game.
1
The Bears open the season against the 49ers
The timing of this matchup couldn’t come at a better time for Chicago. The 49ers are expected to be contenders for the Super Bowl this season, and they have an absolutely loaded roster. Their biggest question is quarterback Trey Lance, who’s gearing up for his first start as the undisputed starting quarterback. While it’s difficult to prepare for Lance given his small sample size, his inexperience also provides an opportunity for the Bears defense to bring pressure and force him into the kind of mistakes that could help Chicago pull off an upset.
2
New offense under Luke Getsy
For all of the criticism that the Bears offense has received heading into this season, the one thing people are grossly underestimating is the impact of Luke Getsy’s new scheme. While we haven’t seen it in full force yet, it’s already a huge upgrade from Matt Nagy’s system. Sure, there are a lot of questions and unproven players at wide receiver and along the offensive line. But you can’t underscore the importance of having an offensive play caller who is going to do what it takes to put his players in the best position to succeed, which includes fitting his scheme to fit their strengths.
3
Year 2 of Justin Fields
New year, fresh start for quarterback Justin Fields. Despite the digs at Chicago’s receiving corp and offensive line, there’s reason to be excited about Fields development in a pivotal second season. The last time we saw Fields, he led the Bears offense to three touchdown drives (all touchdown passes by Fields) in the preseason finale against Cleveland. You can’t put too much stock in preseason, but it’s hard to ignore how Fields looked poised, accurate and confident. And the fun thing is, the Bears haven’t even opened this offense up yet. Fields has a chance to impress (and silence doubters) starting Sunday against a talented 49ers defense.
4
Strong run game
With the forecast calling for heavy precipitation, we could be in for a run-heavy, low-scoring affair at Soldier Field. While there are questions about Chicago’s run defense, the Bears have a strong run game with David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Trestan Ebner and fullback Khari Blasingame. Montgomery is coming off another impressive season, and he has the chance to take his game to the next level in Getsy’s offense. The Bears’ stable of backs is certainly and encouraging one, especially as it looks like we’re in for a lot of running.
5
Revamped secondary
The Bears secondary was among the worst in the NFL last season, which is exactly why new GM Ryan Poles addressed it with his first two draft selections. Rookies cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker have made a strong impression since their arrival, including in their first live action in the preseason. The additions of Gordon and Brisker helps solidify the secondary, and should be beneficial for the likes of Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson. The crazy thing is, we haven’t seen Gordon and Brisker on the field at the same time yet. We’ll see how the rookies fare in their NFL debuts.
6
Roquan Smith's return
The Bears defense look solid during the preseason, and that was without Roquan Smith. Now, Smith is back after his hold-in and focused on playing out the final year of his rookie deal, and the Bears defense will benefit significantly. Smith will be the weak-side linebacker, one of the most important positions in Matt Eberflus’ defense and a position where the Colts’ Shaquille Leonard thrived. While there are questions outside of Smith at linebacker, Smith’s presence only helps this defense as a physical force on the field and a veteran presence in the locker room.
