Bye week preview: Looking at the second half of the Bears season

The Chicago Bears are at their bye week and they are over halfway through their first 17-game slate.

While fans aren’t seeing the wins and losses record that they may have wanted, there are beginning to be signs that Justin Fields is developing as everyone would’ve wanted when he was drafted last spring.

At 3-6 the Bears are in third place in the NFC North. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bears are now 100-1 (+10000) to win the NFC North and have 16-1 odds to make the playoffs.

Here’s a look at the final eight games the Bears have coming up:

vs. Baltimore Ravens
at Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving Day)
vs. Arizona Cardinals
at Green Bay Packers (Sunday Night Football*)
vs. Minnesota Vikings (Monday Night Football)
at Seattle Seahawks
vs New York Giants
at Minnesota Vikings

*Subject to flex scheduling

Most fans though are focusing on Justin Fields down the stretch. With eight games to play there are plenty of opportunities for him to make more plays and show more of what has been seen in the last two games against the 49ers and Steelers.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Fields is currently 50-1 or +5000 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. While he trails fellow first-years like Ja’Marr Chase (-140), Mac Jones (+350), Najee Harris (+800) and Trevor Lawrence (+3500) there is still a good value on Fields. He is playing more and getting more chances than other rookies with the same or lower odds to take the award like Trey Lance (also +5000), Rondale Moore (+6500) and Devonta Smith (+5000).

For a real longshot, Khalil Herbert, who I am sure wasn’t listed in the preseason odds is currently +10000.

On the defensive side, Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith are both +10000 to win Defensive Player of the Year on DraftKings Sportsbook.

There aren’t really a ton of records that any Bears (outside of Fields, which I’ll get to in a second) are on pace to break, but Smith is close to on pace to break Dante Jones’ single-season tackle record of 189 from 1993. Currently he’s on pace for 176 tackles.

Fields, on the other hand, is on pace to rewrite the rookie record book. He’s on pace for new marks in completions, attempts and yards. He’s on pace to tie the interceptions record at 17 with Zeke Bratkowski. He’s only on pace for nine touchdown passes, but that is with his current production, which he started slow with. Nine would tie for second place with Kyle Orton and Jim McMahon, but trails Charlie O’Rourke’s 11.

That’s where the Bears are at at the halfway point. How many more games do you think they can win this season? Will we see Justin Fields rewrite the record books?