The Bears\u2019 defense sure looks incredible when it\u2019s forcing fumbles and snaring interceptions. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safety Kevin Byard fly all over the field looking for a pass to pluck, and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and defensive end Montez Sweat are always ready to rake a ball out of someone\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
But what about when that doesn\u2019t happen? The Bears lead the NFL with 16 takeaways, and that has masked some major concerns about their defense. When it comes to the basics, they\u2019ve been unreliable:<\/p>\n
Those alarms have been going off all season, and the Bears were exposed by the Ravens last week as third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley played a clean game and led their offense to 30 points. There\u2019s some randomness to turnovers, and hoping to get three or four of them isn\u2019t a sound plan Sunday when the Bears visit the Bengals.<\/p>\n
With quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve, the Bengals traded for Joe Flacco, who hasn\u2019t thrown an interception or fumbled in his three starts. If Flacco is scratched due to the sprained AC joint in his shoulder that kept him out of practice all week, the Bears might have a better chance at taking the ball from Jake Browning, who has thrown eight, but coach Zac Taylor will look to minimize risk through his game planning.<\/p>\n
The Bears can\u2019t plan on takeaways. They need to stuff the run and force Flacco or Browning into third-and-longs. There\u2019s nothing profound about that, but it works. Third down is one area in which the Bears have been good this season, holding opponents to 31.9% conversions, second in the league.<\/p>\n
Fixing the defense is a new challenge for Bears coach Ben Johnson, who previously spent his coaching career exclusively on offense. That was a big factor in his hiring of veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and Johnson indicated he defers to Allen on all defensive matters, evident by his phrasing as he said he\u2019s \u201cnot going to micromanage\u201d him, that Allen \u201cdoes a great job keeping me in the loop,\u201d that Johnson will \u201cspitball\u201d suggestions in their meetings and that it\u2019s been \u201cgood for my education\u201d to work with Allen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he\u2019s calling it on game day, I know what we\u2019re doing and where everyone should be,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cBut the longer I\u2019m in this role, the more in tune I\u2019m going to be in bringing all three phases together so we can play complementary football.\u201d That means he has not thundered in and given Allen directives. \u201cHe\u2019s got a lot of expertise [and] that\u2019s something that I never want to screw up,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHe does an excellent job, obviously, so I\u2019m there to support. I do like to challenge occasionally and just learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s nothing wrong with Johnson knowing his strengths and recognizing those of Allen, who is in his 15th season as a coordinator or head coach. The Bears found a good formula in that regard with offensive-minded coach Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in 2018. But head coaches\u2019 success hinges on both sides of the ball, and first-time head coaches usually have a lot to learn about their non-specialty. Johnson\u2019s predecessor, Matt Eberflus, never appeared to have any handle whatsoever on fixing the Bears\u2019 offense, which was one of many reasons he lasted less than three seasons.<\/p>\n
The Bears need their defense to excel in the basics, then amplify with takeaways. Johnson has a full plate with rewiring a young quarterback in Caleb Williams and fixing a Bears offense that hasn\u2019t finished higher than 18th in points since 2018, but the defense must click into place, too, for the team to have any shot at the playoffs in what Johnson declared a win-now season. The Bengals are far from an offensive juggernaut without Burrow, but Flacco sparked them to 71 points over their last two games, and they committed no turnovers.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the main concern for the Bears’ defense?
\nA: The main concern is their inability to stop the run, allowing 5.3 yards per carry, and their lack of pressure on the quarterback, with only 14 sacks.
\nQ: Who is the Bears’ defensive coordinator?
\nA: Dennis Allen is the Bears’ defensive coordinator, hired by coach Ben Johnson due to his expertise and experience.
\nQ: What is the key to the Bears’ success on defense?
\nA: The key to their success is stopping the run, getting pressure on the quarterback, and making stops on third downs, which will set up obvious passing situations and ignite their pass rush.
\nQ: Who is the Bengals’ quarterback?
\nA: The Bengals’ quarterback is Joe Flacco, who was traded for after Joe Burrow’s injury, but if he is scratched, Jake Browning will start.
\nQ: What is the Bears’ goal for the season?
\nA: The Bears’ goal is to make the playoffs, and for that to happen, both their offense and defense need to click into place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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