The rumors involving the Chicago Bears and Andy Dalton heated up over the weekend during the NFL Scouting Combine. Some NFL pundits and fans believe that Dalton may not be enough to get the Bears to a Super Bowl. History could be on the Bears side as several NFL teams have won championships with great defenses while having an above-average quarterback.
It is a strongly held belief that only great NFL quarterbacks can win Super Bowls. Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, and Terry Bradshaw are all Hall of Fame quarterbacks that won multiple Super Bowls. Some lesser-known quarterbacks won Super Bowls because they did just enough for their teams to be victorious. Those quarterbacks include Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Mark Rypien.
For the Chicago Bears heading into 2020, they don't need a great quarterback to contend for the playoffs, they need a quarterback that can be efficient. Of the team's eight losses in 2019, three of those losses came in which the defense allowed 17 points or less. In three of the other five losses, the team lost by eight points or less. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the offense's anemic play cost the Bears several wins last season. In 8 of Trubisky's 15 starts last season, the offense failed to score a touchdown in the first half.
Dalton needs to put the Bears offense in a spot where the team can score 20 points at minimum per game, or at least allow the defense to play with a lead. By playing with a lead, the Bears defense has a better opportunity of facing one-dimensional opposing offenses. With opposing offenses becoming one dimensional, it would increase the opportunities for the Bears defense to force turnovers and sacks, something they were extremely good at in 2018.
Two teams that won Super Bowl quarterbacks that were good enough were the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams featured great defenses and above-average offenses that would put their teams in a position to win games. A similarity between both defenses was that they were notorious for forcing turnovers.
The 2000 Ravens team was led by Dilfer, who in 11 games threw 12 touchdown passes. Although he did not have the most impressive stat line, Dilfer did lead the Ravens to a 7-1 record as a starter. In the playoffs, Dilfer threw for a touchdown in three of the four games as each touchdown was 38-yards or longer.
In 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was led by Johnson who passed for 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He was named to the Pro-Bowl for his efficient play, but more importantly, led the Buccaneers offense past the Philadelphia Eagles. Tampa had been eliminated by Philadelphia during the Wild Card round of the playoffs the previous two seasons. In 2002, the Buccaneers beat the Eagles 27-10 in the NFC Championship due in part to Johnson's clutch play. During their playoff run, he had two multi-touchdown games.
If the Bears bring Dalton on and have him replace Trubisky as their starter, they do not need him to be an All-Pro. Chicago was an eight-win team in 2019 with an offense that was second to last in a majority offensive categories. Dalton has been named to multiple Pro-Bowl due to his success with the Bengals offense over his career. Even with an average offense in 2020, it could make a huge difference for a Bears team that already has a playoff-caliber defense.
