The Chicago Bears have had some excellent defensive coordinators throughout their long history. Vic Fangio was the most recent in that category, crafting a tough and disciplined unit in the mid-2010s that helped win a division title. Ron Rivera created a swarming maelstrom that was masterful at creating takeaways. Chicago had one of the toughest run defenses in franchise history under Greg Blache, and of course, Buddy Ryan caused nightmares with that “46” blitz in the 1980s. However, Dennis Allen might be a different breed.
Everybody knew he was a proven defensive coordinator from his time in New Orleans. That said, Bears fans never quite grasped what made him good. All they heard was he was aggressive, meaning he blitzed a lot. It is way too simplistic a description to convey the truth. So Allen decided to provide a taste during Family Fest at Soldier Field. Most defenses usually utilize specific types of blitzes. Allen immediately showed he cares little for convention when he threw a double safety blitz at Caleb Williams in the red zone, resulting in an incompletion.
Dennis Allen is mean.
Throwing that type of blitz, one of the rarest in the NFL, at a second-year quarterback in practice is straight-up mean. It also provides a window into how Dennis Allen thinks. People have often said his mind is unique. He can think up coverage disguises and blitz packages that most coaches wouldn’t dare touch. This is why he often gave all-time greats, such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, fits. Williams couldn’t possibly have been ready for any of that. That is precisely why Allen is throwing it at him. The more the quarterback sees it in practice, the more likely it is that he’ll have answers ready when opponents try it later. Meanwhile, the Bears’ defensive coordinator will turn that devious streak on other quarterbacks in the coming months. We don’t envy them.
