Bears Defense Confirmed To Be Facing Toughest QB Division

The Chicago Bears defense can never have things easy these days. People think the main reason the unit has struggled at times over the past few years is because they're not good enough. That's not looking at the full picture. Yes, it's partly true but there is another factor in play. The level of competition has continued to take big steps up seemingly every year. Think about it. In 2008, the Green Bay Packers transitioned from an old but still good Brett Favre to a young and ascending Aaron Rodgers. That alone was bad enough. Then a year later the Detroit Lions drafted Matthew Stafford with the #1 overall pick. Though it took some time he soon developed into a Pro Bowler and has given the Bears problems ever since. If that weren't bad enough, even the Minnesota Vikings have had a run of good fortune at the position of late. They drafted Teddy Bridgewater who became a Pro Bowler. Sam Bradford had his best season with them when Bridgewater went down. The same went for a resurgent Case Keenum. Now they've signed former Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins as a free agent. It's little wonder the NFC North was officially tabbed as the QB-richest division in football.

Chicago Bears defense faces a stiffer challenge than any in the NFL

Adam Schein of NFL.com faced the difficult task of trying to determine the strongest quarterback division in the league. There were some great challengers including the NFC South with Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and Drew Brees along with the NFC West with Russell Wilson and Jared Goff. Still, there was no topping the 'Norse' division.

"This is a significant jump up from last year's rankings, but I am very comfortable with it. Rodgers is the most talented quarterback in NFL history. I love Green Bay bringing in Jimmy Graham to help in the red zone. Stafford has been fantastic the last few seasons, a true maestro in the clutch. And Detroit improved the offensive line and run game this offseason -- that will provide the 30-year-old quarterback with some needed protection and balance."

If people want to know what the Bears are up against, there's this chilling stat. All told the three opposing QBs they will face in 2018 are 27-10 in their combined careers against Chicago. They threw 70 touchdowns over that span. This just doesn't feel like a battle the defense will be able to win.

Not on their own.

Luckily Schein believes they'll have backup this time in the form of their own quarterback.

"I think Trubisky will be this year's Jared Goff, taking a major leap forward in Year 2 with a new head coach and more talent around him. Lastly, Cousins swings the pendulum in favor of this division. He's the answer to the franchise-quarterback question for the Vikings."

Part of the challenge in beating great quarterbacks is they're hard to stop even when you have a good defense. That means the only true way to overcome them is by scoring more points. This has been a persistent problem for the Bears going back decades and why they've consistently failed to challenge for a Super Bowl for long stretches of time. With Mitch Trubisky in place, it feels like they may finally be on a level playing field.