Bear Digest

Bears Hoping Pass Rush from Unexpected Sources Continues

The defensive line in Chicago's opener showed it's possible Montez Sweat might no longer need to do a solo act.

Gene Chamberlain

Normally a run stopper, Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings turns loose the pass rush against Will Levis.
Normally a run stopper, Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings turns loose the pass rush against Will Levis. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Of all the 10 quarterback hits the Bears accumulated on Will Levis in the season opener, two in particular didn't figure.

Actually, four probably couldn't have been expected in Week 1 because Darrell Taylor had been with the team 16 days but as an edge rusher who has rushed the passer well in the past, it was easier to anticipate.

The surprise hits came from nose tackle Andrew Billings, but the Bears didn't necessarily have Billings lining up inside near the ball. They moved around their 6-foot-1, 311-pound roadblock and he took it seriously when they had him actually playin the edge.

"Well, what we try and do is just create, you know, anytime the offensive line has to prepare themselves for four guys or five guys in multiple positions, we think that that's a challenge for them and an advantage for us," defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "And so Andrew being able to line in that position and all of a sudden the left or right tackle has a different person, a different traits that he has to contain.

"And if executed correctly, it could give us a pretty decent advantage, so we really like that."

It was a source of inspiration for the entire line when you consider he managed to equal his entire 2023 quarterback hits output in one game last Sunday.

"You know, there was a play that Andrew made in the second half of the ballgame that I thought was critical," Washington said. "It was a hit on the quarterback, and just the effort—hot day, reps had started to accumulate, we need him to anchor the line of scrimmage.

"And the way that he, the effort that he used to rush the quarterback, I just thought was phenomenal. We have a saying in the (defensive line) room: When you see big men running, whether its in pursuit or chasing the quarterback, that's always a positive sign. It's something that really energizes our entire defense."

As much as the big guy playing runaway bulldozer with Levis entertained and energized, the key in the pass rush was how Taylor, starting end DeMarcus Walker, Billings and Gervon Dexter consistently pressured. Taylor had a ridiculously high 47% pass rush win rate according to ESPN, which was second best in the NFL to only Denver's Jonathon Cooper in Week 1.

Walker had an even high win rate of 62% but was classified as a tackle because some of his pass rushes come from 3-technique when he slid inside from end. As a team, the Bears' 71% pass rush win rate was No. 1 in the NFL.

They stepped up when the full attention of the Titans offensive line was devoted to shutting down Montez Sweat.

And it couldn't have been easy for Taylor as he is just figuring out the defensive scheme.

"Well, to come in the way that Darrell did without the benefit of the offseason and to first of all learn our defensive system, and not only the specifics of scheme, but just the way that we do things here, it says a lot about him and his professionalism," Washington said. "That's the first thing. He's got length and quickness. He has all the requisite tools that you need to be a really dynamic one-on-one pass rusher, but you have to do that in concert with the other three guys or the other four guys if we’re adding a person.

"So just a lot of credit to him and (assistant line coach) Bryan Bing for really helping to accelerate his growth and knowledge of what we're doing defensively."

Sweat saw it almost like what happened to him last season, when he came in at the trade deadline as their defensive line savior in the pass rush and had to play right away.

"I just remember when I got traded and i was nervous about how the guys would react when I came, and all that kind of stuff," Sweat said. "And they welcomed me with open arms. So I wanted to give him the same courtesy."

The comfort was apparent.

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"He really just fit in with the whole group and the culture and I'm excited to have him," Sweat said.

The least surprising rush should have been what they got from Walker. He was there last year providing pressure, just not closing with sacks. He had a career-high 22 1/2 pressures last year but only 3 1/2 sacks.

Walker didn't get a sack Sunday but closed the gap to finishing with sacks even more while doing something even better. He had four of the 10 quarterback hits and two of them forced interceptions. They'd obviously rather have the ball than the sack.

The game-winning interception by Tyrique Stevenson was courtesy of Walker's attempt at a sack and Levis' needless panic in a game his team led 17-16, as he was going to the ground.

"Doing his job with just unbelievable precision, accuracy and detail and to start where he started and to be in a position to hit the quarterback, he understood the assignment and he did a great job of executing and not only that but just following through as the play extended," Johnson said. "And just not being satisfied but with being there, but wanting to get the hit on the quarterback, which we all know what happened after that."

That combination of rush and cover worked to perfect on the two interceptions of Levis.

"Energy. And coordination and the coverage doing an exception job of forcing the quarterback to hold the football," Washington said. "Those things have to work in concert for the rush to get home. But it starts with just that urgency, the energy.

"Travis did an excellent job of managing the rotations so we had the right players fresh and explosive at the right time."

Doing it might be a little tougher on Sunday night at Houston consider C.J. Stroud didn't even get rattled as a rookie passer last year, when he threw only five interceptions.

"Yeah, it's a great quarterback, great offense, I mean, they made a nice playoff run last year and won their first game," Sweat said. "So they're 1-0 just like us. We're just ready for the challenge."

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.