The 2020 Chicago Bears defense is quite a fascinating group. Nobody would call it “suffocating” when compared to other great defenses, but there’s just something about it. Opponents always seem to play their worst football against them in the biggest moments. Why is that? Veteran safety Tashaun Gipson has an idea. Probably because this is one of the most physical groups in the NFL.
It’s no joke. This Bears defense is anything but finesse. They aren’t afraid to get after teams with physicality. They go 100 mph on every snap and it tends to just wear offenses down. The usual suspects are responsible for this. Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, and Danny Trevathan stand out as the tone-setters. Yet in Gipson’s mind?
The real guy to watch out for is Kyle Fuller.
Normally when people think of big hits, they look at safeties or linebackers. Positions that man the middle of the field. Rarely is a cornerback considered somebody to watch out for like that. Even so, the evidence speaks for itself. Fuller has delivered some brutal shots to opposing offensive players in the past two weeks. Both of them clean even though he was flagged for one.
Gipson admits this is not something he’s used to seeing.
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“I’ve never seen a corner with that type of mindset. It’s refreshing to know that, one, your corner’s not scared to tackle, but your corner’s laying boomsticks, hitsticks on people.”
What surprises him the most about it isn’t necessarily the violence either. It’s how unemotional Fuller is after delivering such a bone-crunching blow.
“He’ll knock a guy out and just walk off…I’ve never seen a dude lay boomhits and he doesn’t have any reaction after that. It’s kind of like, ‘It’s normal.’”
https://twitter.com/BuscemiNFL/status/1317641456899837960
Kyle Fuller did a good job going shoulder-to-shoulder with this one, still drew the 15-yarder for unnecessary roughness pic.twitter.com/j43MFcLg15
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) October 18, 2020
Tashaun Gipson might be underselling Fuller
That sounds impossible based on the description he just laid out. In truth, Fuller is more than just a guy who delivers the occasional big hit. Sure, those are entertaining yet they don’t convey just how outstanding of a player he actually is. Nobody is discussing that he might be in the midst of his finest season from a coverage standpoint.
Yes, Fuller was an All-Pro in 2018 with seven interceptions. Yet his coverage in 2020 has actually been better. Through six games, opposing quarterbacks have completed just 46.2% of their passes against him for a 59.6 passer rating. The guy is truly a master at his craft. His business-like approach makes him all the more admirable.
What makes it so amazing is where it all started.
A 1st round pick in 2014, Fuller was viewed as a hopeful successor to Charles Tillman. His rookie season was inconsistent and 2015 wasn’t much better. Then he injured his knee and was lost for all of 2016. Most fans felt he was a lost cause at that point. Yet former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio still had faith. He challenged Fuller to embrace the work needed to reach the next level.
The cornerback accepted. His 2017 season was the best of his career to that point. Then in 2018, he ascended to become one of the best in the NFL. An unlikely career turnaround that should be celebrated as a reminder that hard work and self-belief can overcome almost any obstacle. It’ll be interesting to see what his legacy in Chicago ends up being when his playing days are done.
Will he be as revered as Tillman was? Maybe not, but the man is deserving of some serious respect. Tashaun Gipson knows that much.