Friday open thread: Where will the Chicago Bears finish in the NFC North?

On Thursday, we discussed one of the most historically dominant teams in the NFC North: The Green Bay Packers. Interestingly, readers were pretty split on where they think the 2018 Packers were finish. Almost as many Detroit Lions fans think Green Bay will finish third in the division (34%) as those who think the Packers will win the division (38%).

Now let’s switch our attention to a different team in the NFC North but one that is probably a lot less polarizing. The Chicago Bears have finished dead last in the division in four straight years and haven’t had a winning record since 2012. But they could be headed for a turnaround very soon. They have someone they hope is their franchise quarterback. They have a pair of solid running backs. They have a defensive roster with some talent. And they have a pretty well-respected coach, too.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Where will the Chicago Bears finish in the NFC North this season?

My answer: I still think they finish fourth, just because the division is so talented, but I think Chicago will win at least two divisional games this year.

I know the stats don’t show it, but I like what I saw out of Mitchell Trubisky last season. He has a pretty accurate arm, playmaking abilities, and now he has a team of weapons that may not actually be horrible.

Defensively, this is a team that ranked in the top 10 in points allowed last year and a respectable 14th in DVOA. If they can stay healthier than they were last year, they could be a top 10 unit again in 2018, possibly even better.

All of that is to say that the Chicago Bears will be competitive in 2018. They’ve only won eight games in the past two seasons combined, but there’s a very good chance they reach that total in 2018 alone.

... but they’ll still be last in the division.

Your turn.