While the past half-decade has been one largely worth forgetting for fans of the Chicago Bears across Illinois sports betting, there is a silver lining in there if you dig deep enough.
That’s because the Bears have been one of the NFL’s most disciplined teams, in terms of penalties committed over the last five years.
In total, Chicago has committed 474 penalties since 2018, ranking eighth in the 32-team league by that metric, between the Minnesota Vikings (469) and the New York Giants (479).
IllinoisBet.com utilized NFLPenalties.com to compile the penalty statistics of each NFL team over the past five seasons to find the most disciplined teams over that span of time.
Keep in mind, the average total over the past five seasons for a individual NFL team's penalties is 501.
Here’s how the Bears stacked up versus their NFL peers and how that discipline translated on the gridiron during that period.
Stay close to Illinois sports betting apps for the Bears' odds ahead of the 2023-2024 NFL season.
Most Disciplined Teams Since 2018
On-Field Discipline Hasn’t Translated to Wins
Of the 10 most disciplined teams since 2018, only the Bears and Atlanta Falcons have not won a playoff game during that timeframe, with Atlanta last making the postseason in 2017. Keep those streaks in mind when heading to BetMGM Sportsbook Illinois next fall.
Two of the teams ahead of the Bears have won Super Bowls, in the L.A. Rams (2022) and New England Patriots (2018), while the Cincinnati Bengals made it to the Super Bowl in 2022.
The Green Bay Packers notched two postseason victories between 2018 and 2022, while the Indianapolis Colts and Vikings have a single playoff win apiece during that timeframe.
The Bears' last playoff win came in 2010, when they knocked off the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round, 35-24, before falling to Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.
Strangely enough, the Bears' consistent discipline under then-coach Matt Nagy (2018-2021) and current coach Matt Eberflus simply hasn't translated to a winning product.
Nagy was dismissed following the 2021 season after compiling a 34-31 record, which included two postseason losses in the Wild Card round. A rebuild took immediate effect under Eberflus this past season, though the Bears were still called for the third fewest penalties across the NFL ... while managing to go 3-14.
Chicago fans can turn their eyes toward 2023 and hope the Bears’ consistent on-field discipline, plus the No. 1 overall pick, will finally translate into playoff success in the year ahead.
Bears Records Since 2018
- 2022: 3-14 (missed playoffs)
- 2021: 6-11 (missed playoffs)
- 2020: 8-8 (lost in Wild Card round)
- 2019: 8-8 (missed playoffs)
- 2018: 12-4 (lost in Wild Card round)
- Total: 37-45 (.451)
