Former QB Says Chicago Bears Resemble Forgotten Contender

Plenty of people aren't sure what to make of the Chicago Bears. On paper, they look like a much-improved football team. Their defense, which finished among the league's best last season, kept most of its core intact. It is the offense that made huge strides with new arrivals like Caleb Williams, D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and Gerald Everett. Together with D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet, this feels like the deepest, most talented group the organization has put together in at least a decade.

One person who is impressed with GM Ryan Poles' work is Mark Sanchez. The former NFL quarterback has followed the Bears' rebuild closely as an analyst for the past three years. He thinks the team is good enough to push for a winning record and even make a deep playoff run. He explained to Colin Cowherd on The Herd that this team is starting to resemble one he played on himself early in his career. It was the 2010 New York Jets who went all the way to the AFC championship.

Sanchez didn't choose a terrible comparison for the Chicago Bears.

That Jets team was defined by a strong defense, led by a secondary stacked with names like Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Dwight Lowery. Their head coach, Rex Ryan, was one of the top defensive minds in the league. Yet it was their work on offense that helped push them to the brink of a Super Bowl. They traded for Santonio Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers and signed versatile running back LaDainian Tomlinson in free agency. The team rode a hot 9-2 start to the season to an 11-5 record, making the playoffs as a wild card and upsetting both the Colts and Patriots to reach the conference title game.

They did this despite Sanchez's relatively average season, with 3,291 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. One can understand why he's optimistic about the Chicago Bears. There is no reason to think Williams can't put up better numbers than that. If the defense plays up to its ability and the new offensive pieces deliver, this team can also get off to a strong start. If they build enough momentum, the difficult second half of the season might be possible to overcome.

Something worth keeping in mind.