Bears 2015 Preview: Complete Chicago Guide for Preseason, Season
The Chicago Bears have put their disappointing 5-11 2014 season behind them, and the team is heading into the 2015 season with a new mindset.
“You can definitely tell that a lot of the walls that have been built, for whatever reason, in the locker room, have been knocked down,” said Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long last week, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s kind of an open-air environment for a lot of guys. Between upstairs and downstairs, it’s a great relationship between players, coaches, staff, personnel.”
The Bears revamped their front office with the hiring of Ryan Pace as general manager this offseason, and the first-year GM hired John Fox to be the team's head coach in January. Fox has 13 years of head-coaching experience, has registered a career record of 126-96 and his teams have appeared in two Super Bowls.
Chicago is now prepared to move forward under Pace and Fox following two disappointing seasons under former general manager Phil Emery and former head coach Marc Trestman.
The Bears open their preseason on August 13 against the Miami Dolphins, and they will kick off the regular season against the Green Bay Packers on September 13 at Soldier Field.
What do you need to know as the Bears head into the preseason and the regular season?
Preseason and Regular-Season Schedule
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| Preseason | |||
| Week | Date | Time | Opponent |
| 1 | August 13 | 7:00 p.m. | Miami Dolphins |
| 2 | August 22 | 6:30 p.m. | At Indianapolis Colts |
| 3 | August 29 | 6:30 p.m. | At Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4 | September 3 | 7:00 p.m. | Cleveland Browns |
| Week | Date | Time | Opponent |
| 1 | September 13 | 12:00 p.m. | Green Bay Packers |
| 2 | September 20 | 12:00 p.m. | Arizona Cardinals |
| 3 | September 27 | 3:25 p.m. | At Seattle Seahawks |
| 4 | October 4 | 12:00 p.m. | Oakland Raiders |
| 5 | October 11 | 12:00 p.m. | At Kansas City Chiefs |
| 6 | October 18 | 12:00 p.m. | At Detroit Lions |
| 8 | November 1 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota Vikings |
| 9 | November 9 | 7:30 p.m. | At San Diego Chargers |
| 10 | November 15 | 12:00 p.m. | At St. Louis Rams |
| 11 | November 22 | 12:00 p.m. | Denver Broncos |
| 12 | November 26 | 7:30 p.m. | At Green Bay Packers |
| 13 | December 6 | 12:00 p.m. | San Francisco 49ers |
| 14 | December 13 | 12:00 p.m. | Washington Redskins |
| 15 | December 20 | 12:00 p.m. | At Minnesota Vikings |
| 16 | December 27 | 12:00 p.m. | At Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 17 | January 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Detroit Lions |
| *All times local (central time) |
Key Games
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Week 1 vs. Green Bay Packers
The Bears get to officially debut their new 3-4 defense in Week 1 at home against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay has won five of the last six games against the Bears at Soldier Field and nine of the last 11 matchups between the two teams, including the 2011 NFC Championship Game.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio went 4-0 against Green Bay during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, but it is going to be difficult for Chicago to slow down Rodgers and Green Bay's aerial attack.
If Chicago can come away with a victory against the Packers in Week 1, it will help set the tone for the rest of the year.
Week 3 at Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a loss in Super Bowl XLIX, but they are arguably the league's most talented team.
Quarterback Russell Wilson got a new weapon on offense this offseason in tight end Jimmy Graham, and the Seahawks have one of the league's best running backs in Marshawn Lynch. Chicago struggled against the run in both 2013 and 2014, and the team's matchup against Seattle in Week 3 will test its new run defense.
On the other side of the football, Seattle boasts a defense filled with Pro Bowlers like Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner. Seattle's defense knows how to stop the run, how to create pressure up front and how to slow down the passing game.
As difficult as Chicago's Week 1 matchup with Green Bay will be, its Week 3 matchup against Seattle could be the toughest game the Bears play all season.
Week 9 at San Diego Chargers (Monday Night Football)
The Bears played five prime-time games last season following their 8-8 2013 campaign, but the team is set to play in just two prime-time games in 2015.
By the time Chicago's Week 9 matchup against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football comes around, we should have a pretty good idea of which direction the team is heading.
The Bears begin the season with three tough games against the Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks, and the schedule does not get much easier in the following weeks. Between Week 4 and Week 8, the Bears will square off against the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings with a bye coming in Week 7.
Oakland stumbled to a 3-13 record last season, but the team has a trio of young players with a lot of upside in outside linebacker Khalil Mack, quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Amari Cooper. The Chiefs finished with a 9-7 record after going 11-5 in 2013, but they run the ball well and play solid defense.
Detroit finished last season 11-5 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Calvin Johnson is still one of the league's best wide receivers, and Detroit's defense was one of the NFL's best against the run last season.
Minnesota finished last season with a 7-9 record, but quarterback Teddy Bridgewater showed promise in his 12 starts. If Adrian Peterson can return to being the running back he once was, the Vikings could be a sleeper pick to earn a playoff spot this season.
If the Bears are sitting around .500 when they take on San Diego in Week 9, a win on Monday Night Football against the Chargers could help them stay afloat in the playoff race.
Week 12 at Green Bay Packers (Thanksgiving Night)
The Bears were embarrassed by the Packers 55-14 on Sunday Night Football in Week 10 last season, but they will get a chance for revenge when they battle Green Bay on Thanksgiving night on national television.
Quarterback Jay Cutler is 1-11 against Green Bay in his career, and his lone victory came back in 2010 at home on Monday Night Football. Chicago last won in Green Bay back in 2013, but backup quarterback Josh McCown started for the injured Cutler.
It will be difficult for the Bears to come away with a victory on the road in Green Bay, but if they want to contend for the playoffs, they'll have to have a strong showing against Rodgers and company on Thanksgiving night.
Who to Watch in the Preseason
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Many spots on Chicago's roster are up for grabs this summer in training camp and the preseason, and there are a handful of players to keep an eye on once the Bears open up the preseason on August 13 against the Miami Dolphins.
RB Ka'Deem Carey
The Bears selected Ka'Deem Carey in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, and the two-time All-American was the team's No. 2 running back last season. Despite being Chicago's primary backup at the position, Carey played just 100 snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.
The former Arizona star carried the ball just 36 times for 158 yards, and 14 of those carries came in the team's Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He carried the football just eight times in the final eight games of the year.
Carey proved at Arizona he can be a workhorse—he ran the football 652 times for 3,814 yards between 2012 and 2013—but the Bears opted to add competition to the position this offseason.
Chicago added veterans Jacquizz Rodgers and Daniel Thomas in free agency and drafted Michigan State's Jeremy Langford in the fourth round of this year's draft.
Rodgers and Thomas are both proven third-down running backs, while Langford has flashed at times during training camp, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com.
It is not known where Carey currently sits on the depth chart, but unless he has a strong showing in the preseason, he could be on his way out of town.
DE Cornelius Washington
Chicago drafted defensive end Cornelius Washington in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, and the former Georgia Bulldog has appeared in just 15 games over the last two seasons.
Washington appeared to be a candidate to move to outside linebacker this offseason in the team's new 3-4 defense, but the Bears opted to keep him at defensive end. He weighed 265 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2013, but he says he has added weight this offseason to be able to play the 5-technique defensive end position.
“I’m at 289 [pounds],” Washington said Monday, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel like just to be able to play the position, be a little more stout and be better in there, I think I need a couple of extra pounds.”
He was viewed primarily as a pass-rusher coming out of college, but he will have to prove he can be effective against the run in Chicago's 3-4 defense. He will still have an opportunity to rush the passer, but 5-technique defensive ends have to be able to set the edge against the run.
The Bears lack proven depth along the defensive line outside of Jeremiah Ratliff and Jarvis Jenkins, and Washington could earn a spot on the roster if he can impress during the preseason.
QB Shane Carden
The top of Chicago's depth chart at the quarterback position appears to be set in stone with Cutler and Jimmy Clausen, but if the team opts to keep a third quarterback, rookie Shane Carden will need to step up in the preseason.
A three-year starter at East Carolina, Carden threw for 11,991 yards with 86 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, but he went undrafted this past May. He displays poor mechanics, but he is a smart quarterback who possesses a good work ethic.
He is currently the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart due to David Fales being placed on the physically unable to perform list. If Carden can show improvement on a weekly basis during training camp and the preseason, he could potentially earn a spot on the roster.
WR Marquess Wilson
In addition to placing Fales on the PUP list, the Bears also placed first-round pick Kevin White on the PUP list due to a shin injury.
With the former West Virginia star on the sidelines during the first week of training camp, third-year man Marquess Wilson has received snaps with the first-team offense, per Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
Wilson was set to be the team's No. 3 receiver last season behind Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall, but he broke his clavicle in training camp and missed the first nine games of the season. He has the size (6'4", 184 lbs) Cutler covets in the passing game, and he has enough speed to create separation off the line of scrimmage.
If White continues to miss training camp and part of the preseason, Wilson could earn himself a starting job on the outside opposite of Jeffery until White gets healthy.
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Offseason Signings Who Should Make an Impact
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OLB Pernell McPhee
The Bears needed to make a splash in free agency on the defensive side of the football this offseason, and they did just that by signing outside linebacker Pernell McPhee to a long-term deal in March.
McPhee spent the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and registered 92 tackles, 17 sacks, seven pass deflections and three forced fumbles in 60 games. He was used primarily as a situational pass-rusher, but he is expected to be a full-time contributor this season.
Although McPhee is known as a pass-rusher, Pace believes the young outside linebacker is a complete player, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com:
"There's a couple things that stand out with him. First of all, he's disruptive. He hits the quarterback a ton. I think he's an ascending player. Like he said, I like the violence that he plays with. He's got length, gets off blocks, I think he's a well-rounded player, too. I think he's a productive pass-rusher, but also a steady, consistent run defender. Those are some of the things that jump out.
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McPhee is one of just a handful of players on Chicago's roster who have played in a 3-4 defense before, and he will be leaned on heavily this season to produce.
FS Antrel Rolle
The Bears have struggled to find a playmaker at the free safety position since the days of Mike Brown in the mid-2000s, but they signed former All-Pro and Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle to a three-year contract this past March.
Rolle spent the first five years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals before signing with the New York Giants in 2010. The veteran safety has played 148 games in his career and has recorded 799 tackles, four sacks, 68 pass deflections and 26 interceptions.
He has the ability to play up in the box against the run, and he is athletic enough to cover the back half of the field as a single-high safety. Rolle is not the same player he was when he entered the league as a top-10 pick back in 2005, but he should help stabilize Chicago's secondary this season.
WR Eddie Royal
After the Bears traded Marshall to the New York Jets in March, they quickly signed veteran receiver Eddie Royal to a three-year deal.
A prototypical slot receiver, Royal caught 62 passes for 778 yards with seven touchdowns last season. He registered a career-high 91 catches for 980 yards in 2008 playing with Cutler in Denver, and Royal hopes he can replicate that success this season in Chicago.
“We’re very familiar with each other,” Royal said about Cutler, according to Chris Emma of CBSChicago.com. “It’s good to be back out there with him. We had a lot of success in Denver. I hope that can carry over.”
Royal has been a steady contributor throughout his career, and Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei thinks the veteran receiver will have a big year in 2015.
"I'll be surprised if Eddie Royal doesn't have a big year," Pompei tweeted. "He is showing more talent than his stats the last six years suggest."
If White is forced to miss significant time this season, Royal has a chance to put up big numbers in Chicago's offense.
Contract Situations Worth Monitoring
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Earlier this offseason, running back Matt Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett both skipped the team's voluntary minicamp due to frustration over their contract situations.
Forte eventually returned for organized team activities (OTAs), but Bennett opted not to partake in OTAs and did not report until the team held mandatory minicamp in June. Bennett explained his absence after the team's first mandatory minicamp practice.
"I think that everybody, even you guys, should be lobbying for new contracts," Bennett told the media, per Dickerson. "If your performance is at a high level and you're playing to a high level, then you want to be compensated for the level that you play at."
Bennett signed a four-year, $20.4 million contract in 2013 and still has two years remaining on his deal. He was named to his first Pro Bowl last season after finishing the year with 90 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns.
The Bears did not extend Bennett this offseason, and the veteran tight end understands it is just business.
"It’s just business," Bennett said, according to Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com. "I have no hard feelings against anybody."
Forte's holdout was less dramatic than Bennett's and only lasted through voluntary minicamp, but the seven-year veteran is entering the final year of his contract in 2015. Forte has rushed for 7,704 yards with 41 touchdowns in 107 career games, but he turns 30 years old in December.
It is rare for running backs to get a third long-term contract in the NFL, and Forte said he will worry about his contract once the season is over.
"I’m not worried about it because I’m at the end of my deal," he said, per Fishbain. "It’s my last year in this deal, and I was compensated correctly four years ago, so at the end of this deal, we’ll see what happens.”
The Bears could conceivably extend both Bennett and Forte sometime before the start of the regular season, but the team appears committed to letting both players play out their deals.
While it appears unlikely that Bennett and Forte will receive extensions before the end of this season, Jeffery could be in for a big day in the coming months. Jeffery is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, and he is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas both signed five-year, $70 million deals earlier this summer, and their new contracts could be the blueprint for Jeffery's next deal.
Pace was asked back in February about giving out contract extensions, and he did not shut the door on the idea of giving out an extension during training camp or the preseason.
"We’ll talk about it throughout the offseason," Pace said, according to Jahns. "There comes a point in the season where we’re going to stay away from those things and not let it be a distraction. But right now, it’s just a case-by-case analysis of each player."
If the Bears believe Jeffery can be a No. 1 receiver for years to come, they would be wise to sign him to an extension sooner rather than later. CBSChicago.com's Dan Durkin explained why it makes sense to sign Jeffery before the end of the 2015 regular season:
"In terms of in-season negotiations, the only time parameter that exists is the date of the last regular-season game — Sunday, January 3, 2016. That’s the last day a team can get a deal done with a player and have a portion of the contract count against the current year’s salary cap. Thus, the Bears have virtually the entire season to evaluate Jeffery’s first season as the unequivocal No. 1 target in the passing game.
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The Bears could spend the majority of the 2015 season evaluating Jeffery's game, and if they believe he is worth a contract extension, they could save money by extending him prior to January 3.
"Currently, the Bears have $8 million in free cap space," Durkin wrote. "That number will shrink slightly once the offseason Top 51 salary cap rule expires on Wednesday, Sept. 9. That’s ample space to help funnel new money into Jeffery’s bank account this season and free up cash for next offseason."
There is no guarantee the Bears will take that approach this season, but the contract situations of Bennett, Forte and Jeffery will be something to keep an eye on in 2015.
Bears Will Run New Schemes on Both Sides of the Ball in 2015
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The Bears won just 13 games between 2013 and 2014, and the team got away from what made it successful under former head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears pounded the football on offense and made big plays on defense under Smith, but that all went away under Trestman.
Chicago relied heavily on the passing game under Trestman, and the defense struggled to stop both the run and the pass. Fox was brought in because of his ability to control a locker room and prior success at the NFL level, and he brought two of the league's best coordinators with him to Chicago.
Fangio spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, and the veteran coach is widely considered to be one of the league's best defensive coordinators.
Fangio's system is rooted in 3-4 principles, but he is not afraid to show various 4-3 and 5-2 looks on occasion. He knows how to get the best out of his players, and many of Chicago's veterans have already bought in to his system this offseason.
"He puts guys in positions to make plays," said cornerback Tim Jennings, per Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. "We're looking forward to him putting us in the right position. He's a very smart coach. The team that we play is going to be different every week and he's going to be able to strategize."
Chicago's defense is still a work in progress, but the unit should show some improvement in 2015 under Fangio.
On the other side of the football, Fox brought Adam Gase with him from Denver to lead Chicago's offense this season.
Gase called plays in Denver in 2013 and 2014, and the Broncos were one of the league's best offenses during that time. Gase benefited from having Peyton Manning under center, but he is considered to be one of the league's best young coaches.
TheMMQB.com's Robert Klemko recently ranked Gase as the top head-coaching candidate in the NFL, but the young coordinator will have to prove he can be successful without Manning.
Trestman's offense was explosive in 2013, but he failed to make adjustments last season. Chicago scored more than 21 points just once in the team's final eight games of the 2014 season after finishing 2013 as the NFL's second-best scoring offense with an average of 27.8 points per game.
Gase likes to push the ball down the field with speedy receivers, but he also likes to create mismatches with his running backs and tight ends in the middle of the field. He has used both zone-blocking schemes and power-running schemes in the past, and the Bears will likely put a bigger emphasis on running the football this season.
The Bears have added a lot of talented coaches to their staff this offseason, but it will be up to the players to perform when they are on the field.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac. Measurables courtesy of ChicagoBears.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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