CSNChicago.com takes a look at three preview points going into the Bears first preseason game.
The Bears, once a perennial special-teams power, slid down to No. 26 last year (from ninth in 2013) based on the ranking system developed by Dallas Morning News football guru Rick Gosselin. They were solid defending kickoff returns but were the league’s worst at returning punts as the unit under coordinator Joe DeCamillis struggled with patchwork personnel on almost a weekly basis.
[PRESEASON PREVIEW: Is Adam Gase as good as his word?]
This year, starters have been turning up on coverage units in particular as a change in staff is being reflected in what appears to be a commitment to the too-often-overlooked phase of the game.