LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- The Bears haven't been kidding themselves this offseason.
During their breakout 2018, the Bears were led by the NFL's top-ranked defense in scoring and takeaways while the offense was still developing around quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Now, the offense knows well it must improve for the team to ascend.
"I feel like we got a lot to prove," receiver Anthony Miller said of the offense. "This is just me speaking as an offensive player -- I think the D carried us tremendously last year. I think we need to step it up and play our part. We have all the tools at each and every position. We're loaded. I just think we got to step it up this year."
The Bears averaged 26.3 points per game in the 2018 regular season (ninth in the NFL), in part because of the defense's ability to force turnovers. For its part, the offense averaged 343.9 yards per game, which ranked 21st in the league.
Coach Matt Nagy spoke at the outset of the offseason in January of his desire to see the offense grow. Trubisky has been his own harshest critic in evaluating his personal performance and what it means for the entire offense.
What could this Bears team be with the offense matching the defense in performance?
"It's kind of scary," safety Eddie Jackson said. "For us, we just want to go out there and do our part. We know those guys will take care of theirs."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
