The road to the start of the 2022 NFL regular season is a long journey for the Chicago Bears.
Not much is going right outside of their winning games during the preseason.
They are missing most of their defensive stars from the past few years.
Roquan Smith, one of the last defensive stars from the Bears’ 2018 season, has been having a hold-in this season.
However, there are three perfect scenarios for the Bears to make their 2022 season a playoff year.
3. Justin Fields Needs To Continue Being Accurate Going Into Regular Season Games
Justin Fields is having an accurate 2022 preseason.
His limited playing time during preseason games have given fans a look at accurate passes from him.
His nine completions on 14 passing attempts show promise going into the new NFL season.
However, he’ll need to convert on third down and have big plays this season.
That is something we haven’t seen during the preseason with him getting limited snaps.
But he’ll also need to make better decisions going into the regular season to help Chicago.
Every tweet I’ve seen analyzing Justin Fields has been more or less accurate. He’s made some really nice throws, as well as some bad/hesitant decisions. I won’t use any of it to make determinations about his season, or his career. The preseason is pretty meaningless
— Jeremy Layton (@JeremyLayt0n) August 19, 2022
While the preseason can allow for him making mistakes, it’s on him to clean those up when the games matter.
Doing that gives Chicago an edge on getting into the NFL playoffs this season.
2. Work With Roquan Smith So He Can Focus On Leading The Bears Defense
With Smith and the Bears at a standstill with a new contract, we’ve seen him voice his option on what’s happening in Chicago.
Former Georgia Bulldog star Roquan Smith has released a statement that he wants out of Chicago immediately and wants to be traded by the Bears ASAP.
📸 Steffenie Burns/UGA pic.twitter.com/3OBnoexJar
— 960 The Ref (@960theref) August 9, 2022
However, the Bears can not afford to lose him.
They also have no intentions of trading their top defensive player.
But they need to strike a deal with him if they want any hopes of a playoff run in 2022.
He is a leader on the field, and without him, the Bears defense is much weaker.
The best football player in this draft is Roquan Smith. Leader, hitter, gamer, football player.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 26, 2018
Getting him a long-term deal not only increases their 2022 playoff chances but also secures the future of their defense.
A perfect scenario gives him the deal he wants and energizes him to post his best season ever in 2022.
1. David Montgomery Must Have His Best Season Ever
If Fields and the Bears offense want to succeed this season, they need David Montgomery to have his best season ever.
The Bears running back had a solid 2020 season, which saw him post his first 1,000-yard rushing season as a pro.
His 4.3 yards per carry and eight touchdowns in 2020 are both still career highs for him going into 2022.
With him slipping in 2021, he needs a rebound this season to help the Bears make the playoffs.
He’s been a threat in the running and passing game before, something the Bears offense wants for 2022.
If he can continue to be a dual threat, and improve on his rushing numbers, it will go a long way for the team.
However, it’s on Fields and the Bears coaches to trust Montgomery with the ball this season.
He’s proven he can help the team in the past.
A perfect scenario has Chicago’s coaches and players seeing the value of Montgomery, which will help them return to the playoffs in 2022.
NEXT: The Bears Will Try To Hold A Slim All-Time Lead In 2022