Bear Digest

The Keys to Bears Defense Picking Up Where They Left Off

Analysis: Momentum can end with the close of a season and the Bears have to hope they can pick up where they left off on defense but there are three keys to this.

Gene Chamberlain

Gervon Dexter's ability to get down into a three-point stance and into a gap to destroy running plays can go a long way toward Bears defensive success in 2024.
Gervon Dexter's ability to get down into a three-point stance and into a gap to destroy running plays can go a long way toward Bears defensive success in 2024. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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Overall statistics from last season's Bears defensive effort largely come up short in measuring where they finished.

Some do work.

The statistics will say 12th overall on defense, but when you've finished tied for first in interceptions with 22 and had only six following the first 10 games, something obviously happened to alter the status quo.

It takes a look beyond final numbers to realize what they did.

When the passer rating of opposing quarterbacks was 99.6 for the first eight games but only 74.9 over the final nine, yes, something happened.

When they had 10 sacks after eight games and 30 after 17, the pressure obviously get better.

These statistics didn't come about due to some sort of anomaly, like opponents seeing they were weak elsewhere and suddenly stop passing against them. The Bears had 22.8 rushes per game against, tied with the 49ers for the fewest.

Opponents simply couldn't pass effectively against them and a few found they could run, like the Lions and Packers, but it didn't really help Detrot much as their one win came from a late-game miracle rally through the pass.

Everything truly did change because of Montez Sweat coming to the defensive front. They were stopping the run well for five games before Sweat arrived and this continued. The sacks increase and passing game dominance occurred after Sweat's arrival.

"Our defense played well down the stretch," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "We all know that. We anticipate them coming off to a fast start. We certainly wanted to have that."

With all starters backs except Justin Jones and Eddie Jackson, and 10 of the 11 starters experienced with their roles from last year, it's easy to project continuation of momentum.

Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL and there are three potential factors capable of preventing it beyond injuries. Those can never be predicted but depth can help combat them and the Bears seem to have this in the secondary and to some degree at linebacker.

Here are the three keys to maintaining Bears defensive momentum

3. Kevin Byard Adapting

Eddie Jackson's replacement had a difficult 2023 season as he got shipped to Philadelphia prior to the trading deadline and never really fit in well. However, he wasn't having a great season defending the pass before the trade, with 16 completions allowed in 22 targets. His 102.1 passer rating against for the year was worse than all of his last six seasons except 2020 and his 74.6 passer rating in that period was his worst.

"Fortunately, you know, I've been aware of Kevin for a while, had a chance to coach one of his (former) teammates, DaQuan Jones, in Buffalo, and those two guys worked together for a long time," Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "So I aware of Kevin. I mean, his production speaks for itself.

"And so from afar, you look at that, you see a safety who has that type of ball production and then you get him here, you see the command, the intelligence, his ability to communicate very quickly, especially as we need to make adjustments before the ball is snapped."

The thing about Byard is he has a low bar to beat. Jackson last year had a 120.6 passer rating against and three TDs allowed, according to Sportradar. However, he was graded as the 23rd best safety in the league by Pro Football Focus, which puts him in the top half.

Jackson was graded 76th out of 95 safeties.

So it seems a position where they could actually improve despite the disruption of a lineup change.

2. Avoiding Complacency

Laugh if you will but the Bears defense wouldn't be the first to become satisfied with their strong finish and assume they'll pick up where they left off.

"The guys are excited about putting the work in to get that done," Eberflus said. "Nothing's guaranteed in this league and you've gotta put the work in. Success travels through the company of very hard work and we have to get that done."

How determined to get the work in are they?

It's not apparent Montez Sweat is being a big part of this offseason work. He wasn't at OTAs Thursday and the answers about attendance by him or most players were rather sketchy.

"We have great attendance, really good attendance," Eberflus said. "We only have a couple guys that haven't been here or weren’t here today and it's been really good for us. I would put our attendance against anyone in the NFL.'

Asked specifically about Sweat being part of offseason practices, Washington seemed a bit evasive. Washington referred to a conversation he had with Sweat before leaving for the NFL's Coach Accelerator Summit in Nashville.

"I've been in contact with him and he's been an active participant," Washington said of Sweat. "I talked to him right before I went to Nashville and we had a chance to visit, to debrief and to just talk about where we are in the offseason.

"So he's stayed connected to the offseason. I'll be excited as he continues to take advantage of this offseason."

None of that said he has practiced with the Bears at OTAs. He'll have to be there June 4-6.

Considering Sweat's impact last year on half a season of work without a Chicago training camp, it would be good to see what he does with full year-round participation.

1. Gervon Dexter

The only other new starter besides Byard is the key to this team's success on defense this season.

He's playing the key position in this scheme at 3-technique tackle, and the Bears need Justin Jones' production level at a minimum, if not better. Jones had 22 tackles for loss the last two years but wasn't finishing off pass rushes with 7 1/2 sacks and 31 pressures for two years. Dexter made 11 of his 17 pressures and his 2 1/2 sacks after Sweat joined the line and he was getting limited playing time—432 snaps to Jones' 739 plays. What would Dexter do with a full season at the position?

Eberflus likes what he saw from Dexter in one respect.

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"Yeah, I noticed the body composition first," Eberflus said. "It was really good. He changed his body in the time he was off, so he's much leaner now and he's quicker. He really looks good in terms of his get off.

"That was one thing he had to work on and then pad level, because he's such a big guy, tall guy. And he’s worked on those things. But his movement, his athletic ability is even better now because he really worked on his body."

Washington, a defensive line coach by trade, saw positives at OTAs, as well.

"Just watching the footwork, some of those small but very, very important details with him," Washington said. "Watching his stance, watching his pad level, he's a big, tall guy. So it's in his best interest to play with great pad level.

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"Just watching those things, watching him have to adjust what he's doing as the parts are moving and receive communication, and I'm going to tell you the biggest thing is just how assertive he is. You can tell there's a growing confidence. He’s assertive. He believes that he belongs in the lineup and he believes that he can be a major factor."

Considering the importance of the position, they need this trend to continue.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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.