The Chicago Bears‘ defense had multiple issues last season. Health was a big one. Run defense was another. However, most would agree that the core concern was the pass rush. Too often, it felt like the defensive line was unable to put any kind of consistent pressure on the quarterback. That is why guys like Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, and even Joe Flacco were able to torch them for big games. Yet despite knowing this, the Bears didn’t make any significant moves to upgrade the personnel this offseason. Head coach Ben Johnson said the plan is to coach the players they have better. That put defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett squarely under the microscope.
In speaking with the Chicago Tribune this week, the assistant didn’t shy away from the statement. He agrees that the coaching wasn’t good enough last season. Garrett spent the past few months going through the game tape, trying to find out what went wrong. It didn’t take long to pinpoint the problem. Or rather, two problems in this case. From what he saw, the Bears’ defensive front was woefully inadequate at dictating the tempo.
Jeremy Garrett plans on attacking way more.
First, he’ll address the mindset at the line of scrimmage: “I want to attack more. I felt like we were trying to see what was going to happen to us. Let’s go dictate the terms. Let’s go attack.”
Second will be a renewed emphasis on consistency: “You see flashes of us doing something well, making a play. We want to be able to do that at a high clip. … And then we talk about affecting the passer. So as a coach, I’m looking at our pass-rush mechanics and what we need to improve on. ‘OK, first thing y’all do, you’ve got to get off the ball, man. Got to get off the ball.’”
The Bears’ average get-off of .93 seconds ranked last in the league, according to NFL Pro’s Next Gen Stats.
“So crowd the ball, get off the ball with good body lean, because that’s going to help my (secondary) work better,” Garrett said. “Like, we can’t start, the ball snaps and you got your move in mind. … Let’s go make them have to block us.”
Emphasis on get-off is a great place to start.
Timing the snap and getting across the line of scrimmage as quickly as possible is crucial to any pass rush. The slower you are, the easier it is for the quarterback to get the ball out. Teams that rank high in this department tend to do pretty well. The Denver Broncos were second in the NFL last season with an average of 0.82 seconds. San Francisco, which won a playoff game, was 3rd with 0.83. The eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were 9th at 0.84. Houston was 11th. Jacksonville was 12th.
Fast get-off alone doesn’t equate team success, but it is certainly a factor. Each of the last three Super Bowl champions ranked in the top 10 in that category. It is a good thing Jeremy Garrett is aware of this. By making sure to emphasize it from the beginning this summer, there is sure to be improvement. Instilling an attacking mentality folds into that. The players can’t let themselves get caught thinking about what the offense is doing or where the ball is going. They must read the play before the snap and then make a decision. Once that ball is snapped, you get up the field.
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This still doesn’t erase the original problem.
Talent remains a concern. Improving get-off sounds simple, but it isn’t. Certain players just aren’t physically equipped to do so. It was one of the primary concerns around Gervon Dexter when he was drafted. Montez Sweat has similar problems. He has plenty of power and athleticism, but his quickness was never great. Grady Jarrett used to have plenty, but his advancing age and injuries have sapped that. Only Austin Booker has the youth and explosiveness to become a real factor in this department.
The last time the Bears ranked in the top 10 of this category was 2021. It isn’t a coincidence that was the last season they had Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn on the roster. Jeremy Garrett has the right idea. Focusing on a more aggressive approach should help streamline the process and yield more high-quality pass-rush reps. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to fix the underlying problem.
