The 2018 Chicago Bears defense was one of the best we have ever seen, but can they replicate that success in 2019?

The Chicago Bears shattered everyone’s expectations this past season and made the worst-to-first leap from 5-11 in 2017 to 12-4 in 2018, giving them their first playoff berth since 2010. But with an offense that ranked 23rd in PFF team grade and a defense that ranked first, it’s quite clear the defense played a large part in their success.

A season ago, the Bears’ defense was led by a stellar secondary that recorded a 95.9 team coverage grade — the best we have ever seen here at PFF. However, as indicated by PFF data scientists Eric Eager and George Chahrouri, coverage performance is unstable year-to-year. This, of course, begs the following question: Can Chicago’s defense replicate that absurd level of play in 2019?

Before answering that, let’s take a look at Chicago's record-setting defense from a season ago, and examine the players who contributed to a stellar season.