Former Exec Sees Chicago Bears Playoffs Dream Happening

The Chicago Bears playoffs history is somewhat fuzzy. That's because it's been eight years since they got there. Young fans are having a hard time remembering this team playing football deep into January. That stings for sure, but the hopes were that with some time GM Ryan Pace could get things turned around. Now in his fourth year, has he done enough? At least one person thinks so. Gil Brandt of NFL.com is considered among the most respected football minds in the business. He helped build the Dallas Cowboys from an expansion team into the envy of the football world, winning two Super Bowls during his time there as an executive. He's seen the game grow for many decades. So one can imagine he knows what playoff teams look like. That's why it's quite exciting to see him pick the Bears as the second-most likely among the 2-1 teams this year to reach the postseason.

"Mack and Co. look ready to carry Chicago while the overhauled offense finds itself and Mitchell Trubisky (who, don't forget, had just 13 college starts under his belt when he entered the NFL) continues gathering the experience he needs to develop. The NFC North is anybody's division, and in such a closely packed race, the team with the best defense has a good chance to claim the crown. Even if the Bears are edged out there, I like them as a wild-card team."

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Chicago Bears playoffs history tend to rest on their defenses anyway

There's no question the defense is the strength of this team. Then again it's been that way for decades in Chicago. This team never wins without defense. That's their tradition. Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, Eddie Goldman, Roquan Smith, and Eddie Jackson. There's a lot of star power and star potential in that group and it's only getting better. Brandt also has a good point in regards to teams having good defenses being in the playoff mix. The Bears currently rank 5th overall in the NFL. Here is the number of teams that claimed a top five spot defensively over the past five years that made the playoffs.

• 2017:  4 teams
• 2016:  2 teams
• 2015:  4 teams
• 2014:  3 teams
• 2013:  5 teams

Not too shabby. It paints a clear picture. If you have a top five defense, your odds of making the playoffs are pretty good. The Bears will have to maintain this standing though. There's still 13 games left in the season and a lot can happen. They're going against some good offenses in the weeks to come including the Buccaneers, Rams, Patriots, and Packers again. It's quite a proving ground. This means the offense will have to do its fair share of the workload at some point. Still, Brandt with his encyclopedic knowledge seems to have confidence in this team. Maybe it's time to feel a bit more optimistic.