No Simple Solutions for Bears Defense
There is no secret solution, no hidden practice squad player coming to the rescue of the Bears defense.
The only player they can expect to come back and contribute off injured reserve is linebacker Matthew Adams. Joe Thomas is taking Adams' role as strong side linebacker at the moment.
If the Bears defense is to improve without Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn after the trading deadline deals they struck, it can only come the old-fashioned way. That is from practice and playing together over the course of the remaining eight games.
How boring.
"Roquan is a great leader, a great person, even better teammate," defensive lineman Trevis Gipson said. "Obviously, his presence not being on the team was felt.
"But we have young guys. Jack Sanborn, he came in, first start and he did tremendous. He has things I have to get better at. I have things I have to get better at. As a defense, there are things we have to get better at. But it's about putting those behind us, taking the things we can and getting better."
Sanborn finished second on the team in tackles with seven on Sunday, but no pass deflections or tackles for loss. The Bears had no tackles behind the line in the game.
What they did have was a continued tradition of finishing the game strong. And it's here where they will have to hang their hats.
"Our coach pushes us at a high level, mentally and physically," Gipson said. "That sustains us through a lot of games. I think that showed up on tape this year."
If they're to provide any sort of support for an offense that has scored 94 points in three games, the one thing they have been able to depend on is finishing with their best effort. Even against Miami's precise passing attack they did this, as they forced the first two Dolphins punts on the last two possessions before Miami was downing the ball to kill off the final seconds.
"It's really just a matter of we know it comes down to a fight," Gipson said. "Regardless of the first half, we're going to sustain. We're going to keep fighting.
"That's just what the results were. Had we done better earlier in the game, the results may have been different. But as a team, you can only look at the film and see where you can get better."
The Bears defense came into the game having allowed only two second-half touchdowns at home, but then again, they had played only three home games before Sunday. Now they've given up four in the second half of four home games.
The secondary could be better by getting more physical at the line of scrimmage with receivers, even if they are playing in zone coverage.
"When they’re getting (receivers) on the move sometimes, they're getting stack alignments, it's harder to get on them as you would like," coach Matt Eberflus said.
Eberflus said he saw evidence of this in game film from Sunday.
"And then the underneath cover guys gotta do a better job of being disciplined underneath to get up underneath those guys and we have to do a better job reading our keys," Eberflus said.
It doesn't figure to get easier considering the ankle injury to cornerback Kindle Vildor. He left after two plays Sunday and was replaced by Jaylon Jones.
Eberflus had his first Colts defense start poorly in 2018, but it came back strong to finish 11th overall and 10th in scoring.
Eberflus thinks he can see this 18th-ranked defense turn around this season.
"I think you can. I think you can," he said. "I think that's the coaching part of it. That's the execution part of it. That's the playing part of it. So I really believe that we can."
The Colts defense he had that turned it around at midseason had All-Pro rookie linebacker Shaq Leonard, while defensive tackle Denico Autry made nine sacks.
The two best players from this Bears defense are in Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
