The Chicago Bears went 11-6 this year. By any stretch of the imagination, that is a massive success after what happened in 2024. Matt Eberflus is gone. The Ben Johnson era has arrived. It’s a new dawn. However, it’s hard to wash the stink out of a team from the previous regime that quickly. While Eberflus’ direct influence might be gone, the sting of his decisions still lingers. That has been particularly true with the Bears defense. People talk about Eberflus’ coaching. They don’t talk about the influence he had on its construction.
Jaquan Brisker made a fascinating comment about Chicago’s defensive struggles in the loss to Detroit on Sunday.
This is something that wasn’t really touched on this season. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen inherited a unit that was built to play zone. Eberflus’ scheme is steeped in the classic Tampa-2 style, which is mostly zone-based. As a reminder, his defense in Dallas played zone 73.1% of the time. Why does this matter? The thing about building a zone defense is that one thing is often sacrificed: speed. Zone teams are more focused on guys who play downhill, tackle well, and have the ability to identify turnover opportunities. The problem is that the lack of speed becomes a huge liability once you start playing more man coverage, as the Bears have done this year.
Matt Eberflus left the Bears with one final headache.
If you need clear evidence of why, look no further than the numbers. This season, Bears defenders were targeted in man coverage 111 times. They gave up 12 touchdown passes. They were targeted 309 times in zone coverage, yet allowed only 11 touchdowns. It is a unit built to play zone. Whenever asked to play man, it’s a major risk. For Allen, this is a core issue. His best defenses in New Orleans were man-heavy, allowing him to deploy his most lethal pressure packages.
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Right now, he is trying to create good defense with a roster that isn’t built to run his preferred style. This is a Matt Eberflus defense. Allen has done the best he can to run it, but there are certain things he just can’t get away with. GM Ryan Poles will likely have to completely retool the unit starting this offseason. The focus will be on speed, particularly in the back seven. Pass rusher is high on the list, but don’t be surprised if they target a highly athletic cornerback as well.
