Whether they were loading up around Mitchell Trubisky or swinging a last-minute blockbuster trade for Khalil Mack Justin Abdelkader Jersey , the offseason was all about the quarterback for the Chicago Bears.

Develop their own 鈥?and harass their opponent's.

Now, it's time to see how it all comes together. But the Bears sure look like they are poised for bigger things after four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North.

They spent much of the offseason surrounding Trubisky with the weapons they believe he needs to succeed, hiring the offensive-minded Matt Nagy to replace the fired John Fox after a 5-11 season and adding play-makers such as former Jacksonville Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson.

The biggest addition? That would be Mack, acquired from Oakland on Saturday.

A two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection, he has 40 1/2 sacks in four seasons. Mack gives an already solid defense an elite edge rusher, though he's not the only important addition.

The Bears added a potential cornerstone player when they drafted inside linebacker Roquan Smith at No. 8 overall.

Clearly, general manager Ryan Pace is thinking big.

The Bears have made the playoffs once since the 2006 team's run to the Super Bowl. They have five straight seasons without a winning record. And they have a fan base that's antsy yet energized.

Here are some things to know as the Bears get ready to open the season at Green Bay on Sept. 9:

NEW MONSTER: Mack is the best pass rusher acquired by the Bears since Julius Peppers left Carolina to sign with them in 2010.

His arrival could turn a defense that ranked 10th overall into an elite unit. And it gives coordinator Vic Fangio 鈥?who re-signed after getting passed over for the head coaching job 鈥?a major weapon. More pressure on the quarterback could lead to more interceptions for the Monsters of the Midway after they had one of the lowest totals in the NFL last season with eight.

That was a big sticking point for a defense that ranked seventh against the pass, ninth in scoring and 11th against the run. The Bears also tied for seventh in sacks.

NEXT STEP: Whether he makes the sort of leap Carson Wentz and Jared Goff did in their second seasons, the Bears are banking on Trubisky to take at least a few big strides. They also expect him to hit a few more bumps along the way.

"The first time we get out there and play a real game in Lambeau and we play that first regular-season game, there's gonna be hiccups Jamison Crowder Jersey ," Nagy said. "He's gonna learn from that. Then we just continue to grow as the games go by. Mitch can handle all of it."

Trubisky threw for 2,193 yards and completed 59.4 percent of his passes in 12 starts last season. But the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft also threw as many touchdowns as interceptions (seven).

But he's playing in a more open and aggressive system with some new receivers, something the Bears sorely lacked. Besides Robinson, they also added receivers Taylor Gabriel and rookie Anthony Miller, as well as tight end Trey Burton.

NEW TERRITORY: Though he comes with a reputation for developing quarterbacks, one thing Nagy does not have is experience as a head coach. He didn't even start calling plays until late last season with Kansas City, where coach Andy Reid handled those chores. And he never really had to worry about the defense or special teams until now.

"It's one of those things, some coaches are offensive, some coaches are defensive, and he's a guy that can really rally all the guys Anthony Duclair Jersey ," guard Kyle Long said.

The Bears certainly needed a lift after going 14-34 over three seasons under Fox. That gave him the second-worst winning percentage in franchise history.

ON THE MEND: Almost as important as Trubisky's development is the health of Robinson and Long. Both players are coming back from injuries and hoping to flash their old Pro Bowl form.

Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during last year's opener with Jacksonville. The 2015 Pro Bowl receiver was injured on the Jaguars' third play and missed the remainder of the season.

Long, a three-time Pro Bowl lineman, is healthy after two injury-filled seasons. He's coming off shoulder, elbow and neck surgeries, not to mention a major ankle injury in recent years.

CATCHING UP: The Bears were drawn to Smith partly because of his speed. Seeing how quickly he can catch up following a holdout wasn't what they had in mind.

The inside linebacker from Georgia showed up 30 days after rookies were supposed to report to camp. He was the final pick in this year's NFL draft to sign by the time he agreed to a four-year contract that guarantees $18.5 million and includes an $11.5 million signing bonus. There was a holdup over contract language.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) When All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell re-watched his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he noticed a recurring issue: The vaunted defense had chances to come up big late in games and failed.

It happened in four of Jacksonville’s final five losses, including – and most memorably – in the AFC championship game at New England.

Campbell felt as if the unit also could and should have done more against the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona and Tennessee.

”When I study the tape and those situations, I realize that as good as we are we have so much room for growth Authentic Travis Kelce Jersey ,” Campbell said.

With Campbell leading the way, ”finishing” has become the defense’s motto for 2018. The Jags expect to be better in those fourth-quarter situations, knowing one stop could be the difference in a league that has a penchant for tight games.

”We have to have that mentality of crunch time,” Pro Bowl linebacker Telvin Smith said. ”We know we are not front-runners; we can bang with you. We just have to put our foot on your throat and keep it there from the beginning to the end.”

Jacksonville’s defense was one of the best in the league in 2017. The group ranked second in points (16.8) and yards allowed (286.1) and first in yards per play (4.61), passing yards (169.9), third down rate (33.6 percent) and red zone rate (39.3 percent).

The Jaguars also had 55 sacks and set a franchise record with 33 takeaways.

In some games, it wasn’t enough.

Jacksonville had New England reeling in late January, leading 20-10 early in the fourth quarter. But the defense allowed Tom Brady to convert a third-and-18 play that led to a touchdown and later provided little resistance while trying to prevent the go-ahead score.

In the regular-season finale at Tennessee, the Jaguars trailed 15-10 with about four minutes remaining but gave up two first downs that helped the Titans to run out the clock and essentially seal the victory.

The defense also faltered twice down the stretch at Arizona in late November. The Jags led 17-16 in the fourth before getting torched for a long touchdown pass. They tied the game on the ensuing possession and kept it that way until Blaine Gabbert connected on two first-down passes in the final 16 seconds to set up a game-winning 57-yard field goal.

Those three losses came on the road. The Rams found similar success against the Jags in Jacksonville.

They were up 24-17 with about seven minutes to play and essentially put the game away by picking up three first downs that got them into field-goal range.

”It’s not a conditioning thing. It’s a mental thing,” Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson said. ”That is something that is easily correctable. You just have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what it is. It is nothing wrong with what we are doing Phillip Danault Jersey , us schematically. It is not that we are not in shape. It is just we have to have that mentality.

”You have to see the blood in the water. You have to go attack.”

The Jaguars expect to see gains from returning 10 defensive starters and having all of them in the same scheme for a second straight year. They also anticipate continued improvement from star cornerback Jalen Ramsey as well as linebacker Myles Jack and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.

All that experience has Jacksonville making offseason tweaks to blitz schemes and third-down packages – and waiting for another late-game shot.

”You have to go out there when you have an opportunity, when it presents itself, whether it is a preseason game or during the regular season,” coach Doug Marrone said. ”Then, you have to step up and do it and that will prove that you are able to do those things.

”I think that until you do that in those situations, there is always going to be a question mark. But having the thought of wanting to do that obviously helps because it keeps you aware of that situation.”

—

New York Giants Jerseys