Ask any Chicago Bears fan with an honest bone in their body and they’ll tell you the same thing. They did not think the defense would be this good so far in 2021. Through five games they rank 7th in points allowed and 8th in total defense. They lead the league in sacks with 18 and have forced seven turnovers in the last four games. This group is playing with energy, attitude, and discipline. All of the credit goes to their new coordinator Sean Desai.
The 38-year old has been quite the revelation and the wider NFL is taking notice. A lot of people outside of Chicago didn’t know who he was. All they knew was he’d been an assistant with the team going back to 2013 and had spent the past two years as their safeties coach. He was completely untried as a coordinator. Yet head coach Matt Nagy chose to go with him instead of a more experienced hand after Chuck Pagano retired.
A decision that is paying huge dividends.
Top analysts have really begun to sing the praises of Desai in recent weeks. They love how creatively he uses his personnel, showing an ability to accent their strengths while hiding their weaknesses. In this case, revving up a dynamite pass rush in order to protect a lackluster secondary. Matt Bowen of ESPN is one of the best film guys in the business. He illustrated why Desai is so good with a series of tape breakdowns.
Moving #DaBears coach Sean Desai from Safeties to D-coord has paid dividends. Here, @MattBowen41 illustrates how Desai uses stunt/loop schemes to open lanes for Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn to hunt for opposing QB's. They face the @Packers Sunday.#GoPackGo | #NFL | @GregCosell pic.twitter.com/9qrpCzCWJE
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) October 15, 2021
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It’s not just that the coach runs stunts in order to create pressure. It’s the different ways in which he runs those stunts. The first time he uses Akiem Hicks up the middle to occupy the center while Khalil Mack draws a double team with a rush to the outside. This frees up Robert Quin for a clear shot at Joe Burrow. The second time Desai uses DeAndre Houston-Carson on a blitz to pick off the right tackle. This puts Mack on a running back, which is a huge mismatch and they get Jared Goff.
Sean Desai isn’t just smart but also creative
That is what often separates the good coordinators from everybody else. It is one thing to know the Xs and Os and how the plays are drawn up. It is another to see the myriad of different ways they can be tweaked depending on the type of talent you have at your disposal. Using Mack and Quinn on the same side of the field? Hicks in the middle? A safety running a pick on a tackle? A lot of defensive coordinators don’t do stuff like that.
It is little wonder the Bears defensive players seemed so excited during training camp. They realized they had somebody special running the show. A person who knew exactly how to utilize their talents to the maximum effect. The past several weeks have offered proof. Sean Desai is the star of the Bears’ coaching staff this season and suddenly looks like somebody who could be running his own team in the near future.
Could that team be the Bears?
Don’t laugh. Remember that Nagy isn’t off the hot seat yet. His offense is still one of the worst in the NFL and though the Bears are 3-2, most of that is thanks to Desai’s defense. George McCaskey could easily make the decision to bypass any sort of coaching search and instead had the reins to Desai. He seems like somebody who wouldn’t be intimidated by it.