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What classifies as a 'breakout year' for the Chicago Bears offense in 2021? In 2020, Chicago were 26th in total yards, 22nd in points, 22nd in 1st downs, 22nd in passing yards, 18th in passing TDs, 25th in rushing yards, 28th in rushing TDs, 16th in sacks allowed, 15th in completion percentage, and had the fifth-most INTs.
RB David Montgomery was the only real rushing threat with 1,070 yards, 4.3 average per carry and eight TDs. Cordarelle Patterson was the second-leading rusher with just 232.
WR Allen Robinson had 1,250 yards on 102 catches and six TDs, while the only other WR with over 500 receiving yards was Darnell Mooney (61 catches, 631 yards, four TDs). There was only one TD play over 40 yards last season, an 80-yard rush by David Montgomery.
Better performances all around in the offense are obvious, and would be nice for the Chicago Bears. A top-15 offense by the end of the season would definitely make the Chicago Bears offense a breakout unit behind QB Justin Fields. But what could make the Chicago Bears a top-ranked offense?
On that note, here are three reasons why Chicago Bears could have a breakout offense this year:
#1 Tempo and experience
Head coach Matt Nagy recently explained that his offense will indeed to improve in 2021, as it his fourth year with the Chicago Bears.
He compared that to the Kansas City Chiefs, where Nagy was the OC with QB Alex Smith. Head coach Andy Reid helped lead the team from being ranked in the 20s in total offensive yards in his first four years to being ranked #1 twice in the last four seasons and never getting ranked below #6.
The Chicago Bears are not the Kansas City Chiefs, but there is some truth in what Matt Nagy said. It's partly true because most teams don't tend to keep the same offense or head coach around for four or more years these days.
Moreover, most of the OL, WRs and RBs are players Matt Nagy acquired over the last two or three years: TE Cole Kmet, RB David Montgomer, and WR Darnell Mooney. The Chicago Bears should have an improved offense from 2020, with the players feeling more comfortable in the offensive system.
#2 Justin Fields
Andy Dalton seems to be the starter for Week 1 over the rookie, but that doesn't mean he will start the entire season.
If Dalton falls short in the first few weeks, Justin Fields played well enough so far to get a chance to start. Fields had a great preseason debut, and said the game slowed down for him, but he felt confident on the field.
In Week 2, he made some errors, some issues escaping pressure and let a defender sneak up on him and land a scary illegal hit that could have been avoided with better awareness and vision. He did lead the team in rushing in Week 2 with 46 yards, though.
Fields is still a rookie, so don't sweat on his mistakes in his second preseason game. Andy Dalton might be the best option for Week 1, but Fields is too talented not to play once things go south.
He could give an added boost to the run game, and rush for 500+ yards. Having a dual-threat QB also increases first downs and decreases sacks allowed. The Chicago Bears could still rank in the bottom half of the league in passing yards, but the offense could surely improve on every other level.
#3 Young stars have their own breakout years
The Chicago Bears have quite a few young starters, who could have big years based on training camp. David Montgomery shows he could be a featured back when the Bears commit to the run.
With a rookie dual-threat QB, Chicago could feed Montgomery more and could eclipse his total yardage from 2020. TE Cole Kmet is being talked about as a top-10 TE this year on the field and in fantasy.
He has built up a rapport with both Dalton and Fields, and will be a favorite on check-downs, especially after Fields took that dirty hit. WR Darnell Mooney was the second-leading WR, and could have had a better season with proper passes thrown at him. Mooney has been praised by superstar Allen Robinson for his development during the offseason.
