Bear Digest

No Repeat of Last Year's Bears Opener Vows T.J. Edwards

Everything the Bears have done since the middle of last season points the Bears toward the opener against Tennessee and T.J. Edwards anticipates a different outcome.

Gene Chamberlain

T.J. Edwards makes the stop on Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir in preseason. Edwards and the defense say they're ready for this opener.
T.J. Edwards makes the stop on Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir in preseason. Edwards and the defense say they're ready for this opener. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
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It was only one game but T.J. Edwards wants no part of repeating last year's opener.

The loss to Green Bay definitely left a scar on the Bears defense  but as Edwards pointed out, that defense had been together only a short time on the field.

It's different now going into the opener with Tennessee Sept. 8 and they expect a different outcome than in their 38-20 embarrassment against the Green Bay Packers in last year's opener.

"I know I remember that feeling from last year after Week 1 and it was a bad feeling," the Bears weakside linebacker said. "So, I definitely want us to start fast. I know as a defense we want to do that."

The reason is Matt Eberflus’ time on task explanation. The Bears defense hadn’t even practiced together until two weeks before the start to the season. They’d gone through a training camp with several starters or key reserves missing at various points, and even had some of the same players out in offseason work. But the key point is just knowing the scheme better.

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“Another year in this system, comfort level is just so much different, and I think we are ready to go,” Edwards said.

They expect safety Kevin Byard to be back 100% after an injury late in camp. Backup defensive tackle Zacch Pickens was the only other question and has been ramping up to return full time.

More importantly, the few new additions they have all know their roles. Most of those are lesser in nature, like with their new backup defensive linemen Chris Williams and Darrell Taylor.

“I mean, I think in this system, you definitely need to have a feel for it a little bit,” Edwards said. “You definitely need to understand as much as you can, just like any system.

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“This is a place where you need to run and hit at backer and be around the ball, want to be a part of every single play, things like that. You could be backside for a play on a pass play, but you got to sprint to get to that ball because you don’t know what’s going to happen. So, kind of having that on your mind and kind of built into your system I think is one thing that kind of eases linebackers in this system that have thrived in the past.”

If it had only been the opening loss to the Packers, the scar would have been less severe. Instead, the Bears lost four straight out of the gate, and seven of their first nine before things changed in a 7-10 season.

"Yeah, I mean when you look back at, you know, last year just all those close games that we fell short, right?” Edwards said. “All those times where even we had them in the fourth quarter in a two-minute drive and couldn't come up with a stop or something like that to get us off the field to win that game.”

The worst example of this came later in the season in the blown lead at Detroit.

“I think that has been a big emphasis from the coaches this year, just even offseason,” Edwards said. “You know that was one of the first things we did is two-minute and stuff like that to make sure we are honing in on those details, but I also think in general it's just having a great understanding of what we are trying to do schematically that will help us a lot."

Edwards sees this group rising coming out of camp rather than groping around in a fog, as it appeared last year.

“Yeah, I think the coaches have done a good job of kind of giving us a lot in terms of the mental strain of trying to put a lot of things out in front of us to see what works and what doesn’t, kind of see whether we’re moving around and seeing where guys fit best,” Edwards said. “You’re trying to get your best set of what you’re trying to do and trying to get a feel for what it will look like come Week 1.

“But I feel like we’ve handled that really well. Obviously, going against a really good offense every day helps a lot too. So, I just think the competition has been every single day and we’ve been up for it.”

Knowing the scheme makes all of this possible. The Tampa-2 style is now their calling card while last year it was only a plan.

They even had a different defensive coordinator when it started, but now Eberflus will call his defenses with Eric Washington as coordinator. Tremaine Edmunds had missed most of the practices last camp and is a key at middle linebacker now. And, of course, pass rusher Montez Sweat is on the team.

“Yeah, I mean, I've said this before, the chemistry is something that’s big in this league,” Edwards said. “Understanding how guys in front are going to play, understanding just how the D-line fits certain things and at backer, knowing how we’re fitting every play.

‘I think from this point last year to this year, it was a way different ballgame. So, I think our comfort level is just so much better.”

It’s the kind of comfort level they see lending itself to a rapid getaway on opening day.

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.