5 Stats the Chicago Bears Must Improve Upon in 2015

When a team wins only five games in a season, it's easy to pick out stats pointing to its poor performance. 

Out of the many deficient statistical areas the Bears had last season, we decided to point out five key stats this team needs to improve on in 2015. The Bears can be a 10-win team sooner than later, but these areas must improve for the team to do so. 

Here are the five stats vital to improvement. All numbers come courtesy of Pro Football Reference. 

Last season the Bears gave up 442 points (27.6/g), good for 31st in the league. This is a franchise known for its stingy defenses, but that hasn't been the case in the last couple of years. 

Enter defensive mastermind Vic Fangio. He brings a ferocious 3-4 system from San Francisco known for getting pressure on the quarterback and scoring defensive touchdowns.

The Bears still have to deal with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford four times a year, but there's no excuse for not being able to get that points given up per game average closer to 20.0.

Shaving down over seven points per game will put this team in a much better chance to win closer to 10 games in 2015.  

The Bears had 180 drives on offense last year. They were only able to come away with points 27.8% of the time. 

On the flip side, their defense gave up points 44.6% of the time on 177 drives. The Bears have to do a better job of controlling the clock and coming away with points. 

The Green Bay Packers scored on 46.7% of their drives and had 11 fewer possessions than the Bears. Longer sustainable drives is the answer. 

A steady diet of Matt Forte and the running game will not only cut down on quarterback Jay Cutler's turnovers but also keep the defense off the field. The Bears still have plenty of red-zone targets, and Robbie Gould is still a good kicker despite his opportunities being down last year. 

The Bears had a -5 turnover ratio last season. Winning the turnover battle is the most fundamental key to winning in the NFL, and the Bears failed miserably. 

We all know Jay Cutler's struggles with turning the ball over. He has to do a better job of protecting the football in 2015. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase also has to understand Cutler's strengths and weaknesses and put him in a better position to succeed. 

It's simple math. If the Bears can finish the season with at least a +5 turnover ratio then they have a good chance of adding at least three wins to their overall record. This also means the defense must do its part and generate some turnovers. 

The Bears managed to go most of last year with little to no reliable representation in the return game. Veteran free agent Eddie Royal has been added to the mix to hopefully change that. 

The Bears' average starting field position last year was 25.9. Heck, if some of those guys just took a knee half the time they would have at least improved that number to 30.0. 

It certainly helps your jittery quarterback when he can work with a short field. Having Jay Cutler trying to go 75 yards consistently is a recipe for disaster. 

A starting position around the 32-yard line sounds like a small change, but it could be the difference between a punt or a long field-goal attempt that ultimately ends in points. 

Even after spending money on Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen last year, the Bears still failed to get to 40 sacks in a season for the second year in a row. 

If it wasn't for Willie Young and his 10 sacks, the 39 sack total in 2014 would have been really ugly. This franchise needs to get back to its identity and get after the quarterback. 

New free-agent acquisition Pernell McPhee will have the spotlight on him as he looks to help kick start a futile pass rush. He will be joined by a revamped defensive line and possibly an impact edge rusher from the draft. 

This team needs to start working its way back toward getting 50 sacks a year. If the Bears reach that level again then we will all see defense coming back to Chicago.