Every year, NFL teams that excel at taking the ball away from their opponent increase their chances of making the playoffs. Over the past three seasons, 70 percent of playoff teams have ranked in the top half of the league in takeaways. Over that same span, the Bears have ranked last, 28th and 20th, respectively, with no playoff appearances.
It’s easy for Bears fans to harken back to the days of Lovie Smith, when taking the ball away was their calling card. In many ways, their defense was their best offense. Opponents were mindful of securing the ball first, opposed to getting north-and-south, which limited extra yardage and shortened the field for the Bears offense.