Predictions for 2023? Areas of concern? Can they beat the Packers? 3 die-hard Chicago Bears fans on the state of the team.
For Chicago Bears fans, it has been three decades of ups and downs. They’ve been faithful to the navy and orange for as long as they can remember, digging deep for hope even when the future looks bleak.
With all of the recent changes both in the front office and on the field, three die-hard Bears fans gave us their predictions for the 2023 season, whether the team finally can beat the Green Bay Packers and other thoughts on the state of the Bears.
Malcolm Tucker
A 30-year-old from the South Side, Tucker is a lifelong Bears fan who says he has been deep into what’s going on with the team since 2001. He grew up watching the team with his dad — who died in 2018 — during the Shane Matthews, Cade McNown and Kordell Stewart days.
Tucker’s dad would beat him in “Madden NFL” as a kid with the Bears quarterbacks of those days, infuriating him. He’s excited to see the Bears with such a dynamic Black quarterback in Justin Fields.
What did you think of the Bears’ 2022 season?
I saw it as a positive season. Obviously their record was awful, but we knew they weren’t fielding a competitive team when we saw the roster. This was a teardown, so the season has to be viewed through that lens.
With that being said, there were so many positives to take away from last season. Justin Fields, Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney, Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Jaquan Brisker, Eddie Jackson all stood out and proved to be keepers. Fields in particular solidified himself as a legitimate weapon at quarterback and one of the top young players in the league. Someone you can build around and that can lead an offense.
What’s your prediction of their record for this season?
9-8, which for me would be considered a positive outcome for this young team.
What are some areas where you feel the Bears still can improve? Any cause for concern?
Offensive line is always a concern. The days of Tait, Brown, Kreutz, Garza and Miller are long gone. Braxton Jones held up well last year, but will he be more than average/above-average? Teven Jenkins looked promising but is unproven. Can he be counted on? (Darnell) Wright is a top pick but still a rookie. That’s a lot of inexperience for an offensive line, so I am being cautiously optimistic.
Same goes for the defensive line — there’s no Peppers, Mack, Ogunleye, Harris or Hicks. Can’t get much of anything done defensively without a pass rush, so that scares me.
Can the Bears beat the Packers in Week 1?
Absolutely. Jordan Love has done literally nothing in this league at this point. This ain’t the Rodgers/Nelson/Adams Packers. They’ll be just fine.
Thoughts on the possible move to Arlington Heights or elsewhere?
This breaks my heart. I’m a die-hard fan. I love the Chicago Bears. There are few things as annoying as moving a team to a suburb outside of the city which it shares its name with. The only reason for this is money. I understand this is a business and the bottom line is everything, but at some point other factors become important in that calculus as well.
I grew up in South Shore right off Lake Shore Drive, and that love for the Bears started with that proximity to Soldier Field. I can finally afford to go to games and now I will have to travel 30 miles to Arlington Heights? It feels like our team is being taken from us and moved elsewhere, despite all our sweat equity in this.
Scott Morrow
Morrow, a 43-year-old music writer, was wounded by a stray bullet in June 2021 while walking through Humboldt Park. During an interview with WSCR-AM 670, Morrow said he “couldn’t die before seeing Justin Fields take the field.” After learning of what happened to Morrow, the Bears quarterback paid him a visit.
A lifelong Bears fan, Morrow says his first real memory is the Bears going to Super Bowl XX when he was 5 1/2.
What did you think of the Bears’ 2022 season?
I look back on it as pretty positive considering how much the roster had to be dismantled. Obviously Justin Fields was a highlight machine and had a phenomenal season on the ground. Before the season, I had an optimistic take of 9-8 and a wild-card berth for a team that on paper was lacking, but honestly it’s kind of crazy how that really could have happened.
Losing eight games by one score was tough but also spoke to the team’s character, and most of those came down to subpar or inexperienced players making crucial mistakes at the end of the game.
Are you optimistic about the 2023 season?
Definitely. I expect Fields to make a leap as a passer, and the infusion of talent around him as well as on defense has the roster in far better shape. Depth could be an issue, and the D-line still is a question mark even with the addition of Yannick Ngakoue. But in a division that in my opinion is wide open, I expect the Bears to be playing meaningful games deep into the season.
What’s your prediction of their record for this season?
11-6. Maybe even 12-5 and competing for a wild card or the division title.
What are some areas where you feel the Bears still can improve? Any cause for concern?
Pressuring opposing quarterbacks and stopping the run will be the biggest questions outside of Fields taking the next step. I think that the offense’s skill positions are surprisingly well-stocked one year removed from a talent-deprived roster, but if DJ Moore were to miss time, I could see the team struggling to replace him with a go-to option.
Can the Bears beat the Packers in Week 1?
Absolutely. And they will. I really wanted the Bears and Fields to start peaking while the Packers with (Aaron) Rodgers were at the top. I wanted to start dominating them and flip the script. I’ll gladly take the Packers doing poorly with Jordan Love if that’s how it shakes out, but Bears versus Packers is the sport’s best rivalry, and I think it’s way more fun and exciting when both teams are good, which seldom happens.
Thoughts on the possible move to Arlington Heights or elsewhere?
A big part of me would be sad that they’re not in Chicago, but I totally understand it from a business and entertainment perspective.
Jim Andresen
Andresen, 36, a Chicago resident who grew up in Glenview, says he was born into Bears fandom. His dad tried to get him to be a Bears fan from a young age, but it didn’t really take until Andresen was around 12. It was then he became a “real determined” fan.
What did you think of the Bears’ 2022 season?
They had the No. 1 pick, so things weren’t obviously going super well. But I do think it was necessary to really tear it down and start fresh. I think that’s the right approach. It wasn’t always fun to watch, but I understand why it was necessary.
Are you optimistic about the 2023 season?
I’m optimistic because I feel like the teardown is over and now they’re able to build. I’m not sure they’re going to make the playoffs or anything like that, but I am optimistic. I think it’s going to look a lot better than last year. I think it’s going to be fun to watch them. I think they will be an interesting team. I am excited to get the season started.
What’s your prediction of their record for this season?
I’d probably be kind of safe and say my goal is maybe if they could win more than they lose. If they go 9-8, I’d be very happy. An average team. And it’d be a big jump in wins, obviously, versus last year. I think it’s doable. They’re a young team and some things have to go right, but I think they have the arrow pointing up.
What are some areas where you feel the Bears still can improve? Any cause for concern?
The defense in general has kind of been a work in progress. And they’ve really been trying to focus on building around Justin Fields, which I think is the right thing to do. So make sure that he’s safe and they can make a determination after the season about whether he’s going to be the quarterback of the future.
If a couple of young players step up, I think they could have a really special season, but that’s not usually how it works in the NFL. Usually you’ve got to take your lumps. I think next year they’ll be adding some more talent on the defensive line and then maybe they will be able to field a real playoff-level team.
Can the Bears beat the Packers in Week 1?
Oh, hell, yes. Yes. They’ve got some issues too. They’re in kind of a transition phase. Playing them in Game 1 and it’s a home game, that’s what’s going to help.
And Jordan Love has been sitting on the bench and he’s been learning from Aaron Rodgers. But even so, I’ve got to see it. I’ve got to make sure that he’s the real deal too. I think the Bears are catching them at the right time — the start of the season before they can really start putting things together.
Thoughts on the possible move to Arlington Heights or elsewhere?
Yeah, it sucks. They’re the Chicago Bears. Chicago is one of the very few cities left in the country that have all of their major sports teams playing in the city. I would love for that to keep happening.
I’m kind of resigned to it. I understand this is what modern teams are doing. It would be great if Mayor Johnson could work something out with them and find a spot for them to settle down.
