Madden 19: Chicago Bears Player Ratings, Roster, Depth Chart, & Playbooks

Chicago is known for just one thing in football: Brilliant defense. From the Monsters Of The Midway in the 40s, and the legendary '85 Bears to their 2006 Super Bowl appearance and their recent team-building efforts, Chicago has always been defensive minded and driven to be the toughest, hungriest defense in the NFL.

In 2017 the disappointing John Fox era came to an end, finishing 5-11 and dead last in the NFC North for the fourth year in a row. First year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky looked lost, and a lack of coaching spark needed to be addressed. In the offseason they hired Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to be head coach, and made a blockbuster trade for pass rusher Khalil Mack. The result? A Madden 19 roster that holds potential with a defense that can once again rule the league.

*All stats correct at time of writing

Team Rating

The Bears are an 82 overall team when you start a new Franchise Mode or play an exhibition game. That puts them solidly in the middle of the pack. There are 10 teams rated higher, and a handful of other 82 overall teams. The Bears source of power is their defense, rated a wildly impressive 89. That is tied for the highest score on Madden with the Eagles, Jaguars, and Vikings. Offensively their 81 rating doesn't impress, but they have good playmakers across the field and a young quarterback that can drastically improve in a short space of time.

Khalil Mack, Outside Linebacker (OVR 99)

Age: 27

Development Trait: Superstar

Contact: 7 years/$121 million

2018 Cap Hit: $15.2 million

Best Stats: Power Moves (96), Block Shedding (92), Finesse Moves (90), Play Recognition (99), Awareness (99), Strength (89)

Khalil Mack gained national recognition by single-handedly destroying the Ohio State offensive line in Week 1 of his final college season at Buffalo. His obvious physical gifts made him the fifth-overall pick in the 2014 draft for the Oakland Raiders. While with Oakland Mack was a game-changing pass rusher, constantly pressuring the quarterback and completing taking over games on multiple occasions. His high level of play won him 2016 Defensive Player of the Year honors. However, with a new regime taking over in Oakland and needing a new contract, Mack ended up being traded to Chicago in September 2018, where his new contract made him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.

Akiem Hicks, Defensive End (OVR 90)

Age: 28

Development Trait: Quick

Contact: 4 years/$36.8 million

2018 Cap Hit: $8.3 million

Best Stats: Play Recognition (95), Strength (93), Awareness (95), Block Shedding (91), Power Moves (87), Tackle (86)

It took Akiem Hicks some time to turn into a quality NFL player. A third-round pick for the New Orleans Saints in 2012, Hicks never reached his potential, but a 2015 move to New England sparked something in Hicks. In 2016 he signed a free agent deal with Chicago and ever since has been a destructive force in the heart of their defense.

Tarik Cohen, Running Back (OVR 85)

Age: 23

Development Trait: Quick

Contact: 3 years/$2.27 million

2018 Cap Hit: $680k

Best Stats: Speed (92), Agility (97), Juke Move (92), Elusiveness (90), Break Tackle (86), Catching (75)

Tarik Cohen was a fourth-round pick for the Bears in 2017 and immediately made an impact in his rookie season. A quick, smaller back, Cohen excelled as part of the passing game and as a punt returner for the Bears, but he was also solid on the ground, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. In Madden 19 Cohen is a deadly running back, capable of taking outside runs to the house and able to torment linebackers in coverage.

Mitchell Trubisky, Quarterback (OVR 79)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Quick

Contact: 3 years/$22.1 million

2018 Cap Hit: $7.08 million

Best Stats: Throw Power (93), Throw On The Run (86), Short Accuracy (85), Break Sack (85), Speed (84)

The Chicago Bears made Mitchell Trubisky the second overall pick in 2017 after being impressed with his arm talent and playmaking ability at North Carolina. Trubisky started 12 games in his rookie year, putting up some unspectacular numbers in an offense that did not suit his talent. He threw just seven touchdowns and completed less than 60 percent of his passes. His development was the main reason John Fox was fired and replaced with Matt Nagy, who brings a more modern, forward-thinking offense with him to Chicago that can put Trubisky's arm and athletic ability to good use.

Depth Chart & Full Roster

The Chicago Bears roster is pretty solid and without any glaring holes. The obvious strength is on defense where Khalil Mack (96 power moves, 92 block shedding) and Akiem Hicks (93 strength, 91 block shedding) can terrorize quarterbacks as Danny Trevathan (90 tackling, 88 play recognition) and rookie Roquan Smith (89 speed, 87 hit power) mop up over the middle and make every tackle imaginable. In the secondary there is an excellent pair of safeties in Eddie Jackson (90 play recognition, 87 zone coverage) and Adrian Amos (93 speed, 87 zone coverage) while there is a deep rotation at corner, albeit the position lacks a star.

Offensively the Bears are more average than they are brilliant, but there are plenty of playmakers. Jordan Howard (87 trucking, 82 stiff arm) is the muscle to Tarik Cohen's speed (92 speed, 97 agility) while on the outside new arrival Allen Robinson (90 speed, 94 spectacular catch) provides some downfield threat and tight end Trey Burton (86 speed, 89 catching) can punish any safeties that creep too far to Robinson's side.

The limiting factor is Mitchell Trubisky (85 short accuracy, 79 medium accuracy) who is not as consistent as you might like, and an offensive line that is solid but unspectacular.

Chicago Bears Playbook - Offense

I Form Pro

I Form Slot Flex

I Form Tight

I Form Twin TE

Strong I Slot

Weak I Wing

Singleback Ace

Singleback Ace Slot

Singleback Bunch Ace

Singleback Deuce Close

Singleback Dice Slot

Singleback Wing Pair

Singleback Wing Slot

Singleback Y Trips

Pistol Full House Te

Pistol Tight Slots

Shotgun Ace Offset

Shotgun Bunch Open TE

Shotgun Bunch Wide

Shotgun Doubles Y Off

Shotgun Eagle H Tight

Shotgun Empty Base Flex

Shotgun Flex Y Off Wk

Shotgun Snugs Flip

Shotgun Spread Y-Slot

Shotgun Trey

Shotgun Trey Open Offset

Shotgun Trey Y-Flex

Shotgun Wing Stack

Shotgun Wing Tight

Shotgun Y Off Trips

Shotgun Y Trips Offset Wk

The Chicago Bears offensive playbook is well balanced. It has plenty of power runs to feed Jordan Howard and enough disguise to keep defenses guessing. There are several great formations here too. Singleback Deuce Close is a classic and includes a fantastic Wham run and PA X Post Cross that can strike deep downfield. Shotgun Trey Y-Flex is a personal favorite formation and includes an outside zone for Tarik Cohen, a read option for Mitchell Trubisky and isolation routes for Trey Burton.

Chicago Bears Playbook - Defense

3-4 Bear

3-4 Even

3-4 Odd

3-4 Over

3-4 Under

Nickel 2-4-5

Nickel 2-4-5 Double A Gap

Nickel 3-3-5 Wide

Big Nickel Over G

Dime 2-3-6

Dime 2-3-6 Will

Quarter Normal

Quarter 1-3-7

Quarter 3 Deep

Goal Line Defense 5-3-3

Goal Line Defense 5-4-2

In Chicago's defensive playbook you get the unique front 3-4 Bear instead of a 3-4 Solid look. What this does is move one of the middle linebackers to the outside to create an overload and bring a safety down into the box. This allows you to be blitz-heavy to stop the run but also improves your interior coverage, useful if your opponent is using a lot of play actions to tight ends. The rest of the playbook is fairly standard, with the Nickel 2-4-5 providing you a chance to get your best pass rushers on the field at the same time while Quarter 1-3-7 will generate a lot of unusual coverages and create interception opportunities.

Have an opinion on this article? We'd love to hear it!

Join the conversation