Bears Defense Deserves Better Help on D-Line After Allen's Heroic Effort
The Chicago Bears' defense finally showed some semblance of its vaunted capabilities, holding the league's top offense to 10 fewer points and 55 fewer yards than their average in a stunning comeback loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Dennis Allen's unit was led by an inspired effort from their beleaguered defensive line, which produced four sacks, including two from defensive backs.
Allen's blitz-heavy approach paid dividends, as he managed to harass Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 37% of the time. The Bears' pass rush was a welcome sight, especially after a lackluster regular season where injuries decimated the unit. Montez Sweat, who finished with 10 sacks, received help from Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo.
Despite the encouraging signs, Allen's defense still has a long way to go. The Bears ranked last in yards allowed per game during the regular season, surrendering an average of 24.4 points. They need significant improvements on the defensive line, where multiple injuries plagued them throughout the year. The team will have to sort through whether to keep safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright, both free agents, and re-sign edge rusher Austin Booker.
General Manager Ryan Poles acknowledged that injuries hampered the unit's performance, saying "There were a lot of challenges" and that they'll need to press on to get better. Allen echoed this sentiment, stating that finding the right combinations of players is key to success. The Bears' coaching staff will have to be creative in pairing the available pieces to make their defense more formidable.
For now, the team will have to hope for better health and a revamped defensive line. As the offseason unfolds, there are plenty of questions surrounding the unit's future. Can Allen and his coaching staff whip the Bears into shape? Or will injuries continue to plague them? One thing is certain: with Allen at the helm, the Bears' defense has shown flashes of brilliance. Now they need to build on those moments to become a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.
The Chicago Bears' defense finally showed some semblance of its vaunted capabilities, holding the league's top offense to 10 fewer points and 55 fewer yards than their average in a stunning comeback loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Dennis Allen's unit was led by an inspired effort from their beleaguered defensive line, which produced four sacks, including two from defensive backs.
Allen's blitz-heavy approach paid dividends, as he managed to harass Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 37% of the time. The Bears' pass rush was a welcome sight, especially after a lackluster regular season where injuries decimated the unit. Montez Sweat, who finished with 10 sacks, received help from Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo.
Despite the encouraging signs, Allen's defense still has a long way to go. The Bears ranked last in yards allowed per game during the regular season, surrendering an average of 24.4 points. They need significant improvements on the defensive line, where multiple injuries plagued them throughout the year. The team will have to sort through whether to keep safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright, both free agents, and re-sign edge rusher Austin Booker.
General Manager Ryan Poles acknowledged that injuries hampered the unit's performance, saying "There were a lot of challenges" and that they'll need to press on to get better. Allen echoed this sentiment, stating that finding the right combinations of players is key to success. The Bears' coaching staff will have to be creative in pairing the available pieces to make their defense more formidable.
For now, the team will have to hope for better health and a revamped defensive line. As the offseason unfolds, there are plenty of questions surrounding the unit's future. Can Allen and his coaching staff whip the Bears into shape? Or will injuries continue to plague them? One thing is certain: with Allen at the helm, the Bears' defense has shown flashes of brilliance. Now they need to build on those moments to become a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.
Their defense was ON POINT, especially that D-line! 4 sacks and harassin' Matthew Stafford 37% of the time? That's some crazy stuff! 
Montez Sweat was a beast, but it's cool to see Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo gettin' in on the action too. 
Bears D-Line needs serious love, like, ASAP 
... what about the injuries that plagued them throughout the year? Shouldn't they be working on finding a solid starter instead of just relying on guys like Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo 
anyway, its nice to see the defense show some life after that awful regular season... now lets see them stay healthy 
, montez sweat is like a beast on the field lol and allen's blitz-heavy approach is genius! but seriously tho, they do need to work on their defensive line after all those injuries 
, it's crazy how much of an impact that had on their performance. i'm not sure what to make of the whole free agent situation with byard and wright tho... do you think they'll be able to find some solid replacements? 
. And now they're having to question whether to re-sign some of their free agents? It's like they didn't learn anything from last season 
. I guess only time will tell if Coach Allen can whip them into shape, but it's gonna be a long offseason watching them figure things out 
.
seems like they're gonna have to make some big changes if they wanna compete in the league. 10 sacks from Montez Sweat is nice and all, but thats not enough when your defense is still giving up 24+ points a game... need more than just one or two players on the line to be effective 
! However, they still have a lot of work to do if they wanna stop giving up points like crazy 
. With all the injuries last season, it's no wonder they were struggling - they need to get their O-line and D-line healthy ASAP 
. Let's hope they can build on that and become a real force in the NFL 
... like, I get that injuries are part of the game, but 10 sacks is still not enough 
... Montez Sweat's work ethic is admirable, but we need more depth on the line 
... Coach Allen's blitz strategy was genius, though