Nobody should call the Chicago Bears’ hiring of Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator a failure. All things considered, he held things together pretty well the past two years, delivering a top 11 unit each time. However, it is impossible not to recognize how the defense steadily declined under his watch. This despite still having plenty of talent on the roster. This is why many fans were relieved when he chose to retire, paving the way for Sean Desai to replace him.
That decision in itself was a bit unexpected. One would’ve thought head coach Matt Nagy preferred somebody with experience running the defense. Especially since he has so little input on that side of the ball. Desai though made a strong impression and so the decision was made to promote him from safeties coach. Thus completing a journey that began for him all the way back in 2013.
Bears players certainly seem happy about it.
It didn’t take long for them to notice a change in how the new staff operated. It became clear right away that Desai was not Pagano. What exactly does that mean? Second-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson provided an answer. While he had nothing back to say about his previous defensive coordinator, he did point out one thing about his new one that seemed to suggest where the original problem lay.
“I’d say he’s bringing a lot more attention to detail to everything that we’re doing. That’s a big focus point in all aspects of our defense in terms of every position just being more detailed-oriented in our technique and our disguising and things like that. So it’s just about just getting better each and every day, the technique and just kind of learning the defense so we’re being able to play together better.”
Fellow defensive back Eddie Jackson added a bit more context. He seemed to suggest that Pagano’s approach to the second was a bit more straightforward, a bit more basic. Under Vic Fangio, the defensive backs worked to disguise their coverages far more often. That seems to be something Desai intends to get back to. This in addition to the other plans he has for the rest of the roster.
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Sean Desai has lots to prove but is off to a good start
When it comes to a sport like football, the devil is in the details. Being on top of everything can often mean the difference between a 5-yard sack to force a 4th down and a 30-yard completion for a touchdown. If you lax in any particular area, the players will reflect that on the field. This is not to say Pagano failed to mind the details, but it was evident at times that he wasn’t always on top of things. Opposing offenses too often seemed a step ahead of him.
Sean Desai hasn’t coached in an actual game yet, but it appears he understands the responsibility placed on his shoulders. Sure his job is to call games, recognize situations, and craft game plans to fluster opponents. However, it goes beyond that. He must do everything in his power to make sure his players are prepared. That means being on top of even the little things they do.
Why?
Namely, because they can’t be trusted to do so. Some can. A number of players have elite work ethics that enable them to relentlessly work on everything. The vast majority though do not. That is why it is up to the defensive coordinator to constantly remind them why such things are important. They may not like the added headaches, but it does not matter. His job is to get the best out of them. Whether they like it or not.