Bear Digest

Strong Numbers Provide Bears Defense with Little Satisfaction

Stats of all types say the Bears are trending among the best defenses in the league but flaws have cornerback Jaylon Johnson convinced there is work to do.

Gene Chamberlain

Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker move in for the tackle against the Rams Sunday. Both came away with takeaways in the game.
Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker move in for the tackle against the Rams Sunday. Both came away with takeaways in the game. / David Banks-Imagn Images
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It might seem like the Bears defense has carried the team through most of their four games but don't tell them this.

Their sights remain focused on something much better than locking up two wins with interceptions.

"Naw, honestly we haven't been good enough quite honestly," cornerback Jaylon Johnson said.

The Bears climbed back into the top 10 on defense after the Monday night games completed but they are aiming for top five. They've given up plays and yardage in several ways but overall have been solid.

"I feel like we definitely haven't taken away the explosive plays that we want to," Johnson said. "We definitely let some of those go. We definitely have  got hit on some of our runs. Just not being disciplined, not being where we are supposed to be consistently.

"Things like that are going to happen, but for us and our standard, we definitely haven't, I don't even think, scratched the surface for what we know we can do because we're shooting ourselves in the foot. It's not like ... the offense is just making one-on-one touches or anything like that. It's just simply us missing a gap or trying to do too much or guys not fitting the crack and replacing fast enough. Things like that, so it's all things we can fix so we can be, really, even better."

Despite Caleb Williams and the offense turning it over six time so far, the Bear are top-10 in turnover differential at plus-2 because of their defense. They're fourth in interceptions with five.

Gervon Deter is tied for second in the league among defensive tackles with three sacks.

The pass defense is second in the NFL in passer rating against at 69.0.

NFL Next Gen Stats keeps track of personnel packages and production and reports the Bears are allowing an NFL best 3.0 yards a play on first or second down when in their base 4-3 personnel with Jack Sanborn in at linebacker instead of a slot cornerback.

Stats don't console Johnson, who doesn't think the defense should be allowing so many long drives.

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"It's just us playing pissed off in the red zone," Johnson said. "We feel like they shouldn’t have even got there, honestly. We should've been better on third down as well. There's a want and a need to get off the field in those situations where we know after eight, nine, 10 plays, they aren't going to score a touchdown and we're going to hold them to a field goal. That's the mentality, not letting them score."

The defense remains encouraged it will get better and they can get to the top five.

"We're all together," Johnson said. "Last year for us was about trying to find our identity as a whole. It was Tremaine's and T.J.'s first year. We didn't get Tez until halfway through the season, so things are different. We're more of a unit. Our energy and all that is coming together.

"We were building in the second half of last season and then through training camp. We've been able to bond together. Adding (Darrell Taylor) was a good addition as well. We're continuing to build. Everyone on our side of the ball is continuing to gel and we know what we're trying to do defensively."

Taylor had two sacks in the opener and none since, but has had four pressures and one came on the hit he put on Matthew Stafford Sunday to make the final interception possible.

"His energy, I mean, the passion he brings, that's why we got him," coach Matt Eberflus said. "We got him because he fits right in. When he walked into the room, he fit.

"The way he practices, the way he plays. So he brings it. He just has to learn our system. He's doing that and doing a good job with that. Credit to him. You saw the injury report. He was ill for two days and then came in on Friday. Again, (D-line coach) Travis Smith and (assistant D-line coach Bryan) Bing, our defensive line guys, did a heck of a job getting him ready to play and execute in the game in a short period of time."

The loss to the Colts ate at the defense as much as the offense. They didn't feel they should have allowed 21 points, even if one turnover was a lost fumble on a strip-sack at the 12-yard line. They felt they rebounded.

"Overall, it was just trying to reset and find things that we can do better," Johnson said. "We were fortunate enough to get a win this week."

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.