Column: A year removed from preseason Super Bowl hype, Bears GM Ryan Pace is pinning his ‘championship expectations’ on a loaded defense and Mitch Trubisky’s ‘different presence’
Externally, there’s more of a collective shrug when it comes to the Chicago Bears and the 2020 season than a buzz, the product of such a consistently bad offense a year ago.
The Bears announced Mitch Trubisky has kept his job as starting quarterback, and a switch to Nick Foles wouldn’t have altered perception as the team prepares for Sunday’s opener against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. If you doubt skepticism abounds, consider that the Lions, who are 9-22-1 under Matt Patricia and 2-10 against NFC North foes, are three-point favorites.
But inside Halas Hall, general manager Ryan Pace is brimming with optimism, confident in how the quarterback derby played out and perhaps privately glad the hyperfocus on the offense has taken attention off a potentially dominant defense and well-regarded special teams units.
While fans talked about booking Super Bowl accommodations at the start of last season, in Pace’s world the goal hasn’t changed — even if season ticket holders aren’t looking for Airbnb’s in Ybor City with Super Bowl LV set for Feb. 7 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
