The Chicago Bears defense went into Monday night with a clear identity. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen liked to create chaos through his exotic blitz packages, looking to cause confusion and disorder. It worked pretty well, all things considered. Kyler Gordon had 4 sacks in his first two games back. Devin Bush was adding pressure, and the defensive line was getting home at the right times. Still, most people agreed that living that way likely wouldn’t hold up in the playoffs.
Everything changed when the Bears dropped the bombshell that they were trading for star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Allen had never coached a player of this caliber before. People were curious how the coordinator would approach things. We got the answer in Seattle. The numbers coming out of that game aren’t just shocking; they’re downright terrifying. According to ESPN’s Mina Kimes, the Bears were blitzing opponents 40% of the time heading into that game, resulting in a pressure rate of 35%.
On Monday night, with Simmons in the lineup, the blitz rate dropped to 15%, while the pressure rate rose to 36%.
Dennis Allen finally has an ace that most coaches only dream of.
The most proven form of defense in the NFL going back many decades is rushing four defensive linemen and dropping seven men in coverage. When those four can generate a pass rush consistently on their own, it drastically improves the odds of getting stops and forcing turnovers. Last year was a perfect example. The Houston Texans had the #1 defense in the league. A big reason for that was the ability of their front four, led by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, to get constant heat on the quarterback. They had the 5th-lowest blitz percentage in the league. A year prior, the Philadelphia Eagles were #1 overall. Their blitz percentage was also the 5th-lowest because they could get consistent pressure with just four guys.
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That is the realm Dennis Allen is now entering with his Bears defense. It always felt like the team had solid edge rushers with Montez Sweat and Austin Booker. The problem was always the inability to get any kind of consistent push up the middle. Simmons changes all of that. He’s the best interior pass rusher in football, one of the few who demands a constant double team. That means more one-on-one blocks on the edges. Sweat and Booker are more than good enough to win their share of those.
You saw the mayhem it created against a pretty good Seahawks offensive line.
All the Bears need now is a reliable secondary.
The last time the team was this close to such an advantage was in 2018 with that front of Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, and Leonard Floyd. Everybody remembers how dominant that defense was. It was the same in 2005 when the Bears had peak Tommie Harris, Alex Brown, and Adewale Ogunleye. The key difference between those teams and this one might be the secondary. The Bears don’t have Charles Tillman or Kyle Fuller. Jaylon Johnson has regressed badly this season. Tyrique Stevenson continues to struggle as well.
They badly need some stability on the back end if they’re going to take full advantage of what they have up front. Maybe another trade is coming. They don’t need a star. Just somebody who can provide reliable coverage, giving the front that extra split second to get home. It might be asking a lot, but what Allen has now is something most would kill for.
