Bear Digest

Bears defense wields Dennis Allen's attacking style even in preseason

Two strong defensive performances in games and in practices have brought the Bears to a point where they can test themselves against Patrick Mahomes.
Gene Chamberlain|
Amen Ogbongbemiga strips the ball from Frank Gore Jr. during Sunday night's 38-0 Bears win over Buffalo.
Amen Ogbongbemiga strips the ball from Frank Gore Jr. during Sunday night's 38-0 Bears win over Buffalo. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had his group blitzing Buffalo repeatedly last week in practice and especially in Sunday's preseason game.

It's not common for so much blitzing in preseason, but the entire experience told him something even with subs playing almost all of the game.

"I think the No. 1 thing is that we belonged on that field with those guys," Allen said. "And I think that's good for the confidence of the group."

The Bears defense will get the ultimate test of their aggressive approach Friday against Patrick Mahomes, after winning battles against the team and QB who Mahomes seems to frustrate all the time in the playoffs.

Buffalo has won at least one playoff game five straight seasons and twice in that time won twice in postseason but can never get past Mahomes. Tthe Bears defense got after Bills QB Josh Allen in the practice. He didn't play in the preseason game, but the Bears backups had no problem using that aggressive style against Buffalo's backups to dominate QBs Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White.

"There was some back and forth going on, some mistakes that we made that we had to go back and get corrected and yet our guys made some plays, too," he said of the practice. "I think we had six takeaways total in that whole practice.

"I think the biggest thing I thought was we made plays in that game or in that practice so that was good to see."

Three of the takeaways were interceptions of Allen in practice. They also had a fumble taken back for a TD in the practice.

The blitzing in the preseason game wasn't just for show. It typifies the aggressive way Allen wants them to play. 

"No. 1 is this: It's a mentality, it's a mindset," Allen said. "It's a culture.

"And so I've said this 1,000 times, it's not about what we play it's about how we play. And so it doesn't matter what the call is, it's about executing an aggressive mindset and then you have to be able to execute whatever that call is within that same mindset."

The Allen mindset is definitely not to read and react. He's got the Buddy Ryan blitz bug.

"I think we don't want to sit back and let the offense dictate to us," Allen said. "We want to try to dictate the terms to them and continue to come after them and hopefully force them into mistakes.

"I think that's what the great offenses try to do to defenses. I think defenses have to do the same thing to the offense."

Even though subs have done almost all of the playing, the Bears defnse held two teams in preseason games to 44% completions (27 of 61), 334 total passing yards and only 5.5 yards per attempt. The opposing passer rating against is a paltry 61.8.

"I think our pass defense has been pretty good throughout the course of training camp, you know, the preseason," Allen said. "And I've always said this, I told the players this today, the best example of team defense is pass defense because one doesn't work without the other."

It's about rush and cover no matter what scheme is played.

"If we're not disrupting the timing of the routes then it doesn't really matter how good our rush is," he said. "And then if we have a great rush and we're not doing anything in terms of covering the guys, it's a challenge."

It could become more challenging with attrition. Allen said he couldn't comment on the injury condition of cornerback Terell Smith, who appeared to have suffered a bad knee injury in Sunday's game.

The rush part of the pass defense has been consistent in preseason but there were questions about their coverage coming into this season because of the switch to this more aggressive man-to-man style after years in zones.

"I think No. 1, Al (Harris, DB coach) has done a great job with those corners of getting them to play our style of defense," Allen said.

It hasn't hurt them having two veterans at safety to hold things down in the back. Jaquan Brisker has made plays on the ball throughout camp while Kevin Byard has, as well.

Brisker's reputation was hitting and playing like a traditional strong safety.

"For me, I knew he'd be good close to the ball," Allen said. "I think the biggest thing to me is what he's done away from the ball. He's playing well whether it be the deep middle, deep quarter, deep half. He's had a lot of range back there.

"He's making plays on the football."

Byard's direction and communication has helped make it happen, as well.

"He's an accomplished football player," Allen said. "He's really smart. He's played a lot of years in this league at a high level. He's probably the leader of our defensive back room and one of the leaders of our team."

They'll put that leadership and the skill level together and take the ultimate preseason test Friday against Mahomes.

Then it will be a little more apparent whether that same aggressive style can work as well against NFL starters as it has against backups and a few starters.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

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.