Veteran of the "Flus" Approach

It might not be easy for some players.

Change never is.

Bears free agent acquisition Al-Quadin Muhammad is the only actual Colts player to defect to Chicago with new coach Matt Eberflus, although most of the defensive coaching staff did. He knows very well who the star of the defense will be.

"The scheme," Muhammad said, after signing for a reported $10 million over two years. "The things that ... the pillars of playing in this defense, that alone helps not only me, but it helps everybody.

"It helps you develop as a player and it helps you put great film out there. On Sundays, you guys will see."

Muhammad may not realize it but Chicago knows the scheme well, since it's basically what Lovie Smith ran for nine years in Chicago. What is different is Eberflus and his HITS approach, which includes a grading system for measuring player performance in all phases of the game.

When Muhammad was picked up after being waived by the Saints following 2018 preseason, he wasn't sure about Eberflus' approach.

"I had to figure out the scheme," he said. "I had to figure out the message that he was giving. And I had to figure out how to do it on a consistent basis. I had to figure out how to do it every day."

Like many players, Muhammad was a bit of a resistor.

"If you're not playing at a fast pace, you're not running to the ball, punching at the ball, stripping at the ball, just 11 guys to the ball, you're not going to play."

"I had to change my perspective, change my mindset and I had to really just buy in," Muhammad said. "It wasn't hard to buy in because the way the scheme is set up.

"If you're not playing at a fast pace, you're not running to the ball, punching at the ball, stripping at the ball, just 11 guys to the ball, you're not going to play. I bought into that immediately and I train that way during the offseason. I train that way. Getting to the ball is always on my mind."

To Muhammad, this sums up Eberflus' scheme best.

"That's pretty much what he's about, just having eight, nine, 10, all 11 guys to the ball," Muhammad said. "I think that's a special thing. You got a special defense if you got 11 guys running to the ball."

Muhammad last year had six sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits in his first year as a starter. He now has 11 career sacks.

Of course, Muhammad has appreciation for Eberflus the man and coach and not just the system designer.

"The appreciation I have for coach Eberflus is the love that he has for the game," Muhammad said. "He's the same guy every day. High-energy guy. He brings the juice. Nobody wants to win more than Eberflus and I think a lot of people around here are going to see that.

"We're all in this business to win, to win a Super Bowl. He's going to give you his all. I mean, who wouldn't want to play for a guy that brings the juice, that wants to win, that's the same guy every day?"

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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