Fixing Bears Defensive Issues Individually
Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams was asked back when OTAs were about to start about the importance of scheme fit with accumulated talent.
The Bears under Matt Eberflus play a distinct Tampa-2 style on defense not generally emphasized this much in the rest of the NFL.
"I think when you have a scheme fit, a guy that has a skill set and then can turn into your scheme and you're asking guys to do certain things and they match up, that's when a guy can really flourish," Williams said. "So, you can be better than maybe what your talent can allow you to be."
It's when he brought up the possibility of one plus one equals three.
"I think we've done that," Williams said. "(GM) Ryan Poles has found, coach Flus has found great guys that fit our scheme. So, we think they'll be even better than maybe what they were before in terms of production."
The real caveat to all of this is they need to play in it first. Last year was the indoctrination to the scheme and it came with four rookie starters on the field for much of the season—Dominqiue Robinson, Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon and Jack Sanborn. Other rookies fit in during injuries like Jaylon Jones, Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell in the secondary.
Even the veterans hadn't obviously had the time on task. Justin Jones had come from more of a 3-4 scheme, and that's what the Bears played with Trevis Gipson in the defensive front in 2021.
Even now, it's a defense with a new nose tackle in Andrew Billings, a new defensive end in DeMarcus Walker, two new linebackers and even the secondary could have a different starter eventually in rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Scheme is something all of them need to be better at applying but individually they have aspects of their games to improve as well.
DE Trevis Gipson: The Stance
Gipson had a run-defense win rate ranked sixth in the league in his first season playing this type of scheme, according to ESPN. He also had a career high in pressures via SportRadar. He just didn't finish with sacks. This indicates he simply wasn't off the snap and into a gap quick enough, and line coach Travis Smith needs to see him getting more comfortable with the stance.
"Everything we do, no matter whether it's first, second or third down, is about our get-off (the ball)," Smith said. "And you can't have a good get-off unless it starts with the stance."
Getting down in a stance with a hand in the dirt wasn't what Gipson had to do in his first two seasons. So it naturally took a while. He's not alone.
So it's natural that it took a while. "We have three rookies plus the tryout guys and it's amazing how many guys where we have to start from the ground up," Smith said. "You have to start with the stance. Which, when I was younger in the NFL, you almost never touched that. It was almost people and coaches assuming guys knew how to get in a stance."
Smith should be better at this now but they have put him at the right end position for some plays this year for the first time and now he'll need to play from a different stance on that side of the line at times.
NT Andrew Billings: Tackling
This might sound like the 6-foot-1, 311-pounder doesn't accomplish the most basic thing about defense. It's probably an exaggeration but Billings has sometimes been unable to finish tackles after contact according to PFF. The thing is, as a nose he's almost always being blocked when he's making that contact with the ball carrier. PFF gave Billings three of the worst possible grades for tackling that anyone could have for a season: 29.5 last year, 27.4 in 2019 with Cincinnati and 26.2 with Cincinnati as a rookie. A score in the high 50s or low 60s is considered average. But Sportradar tracks tackles and has Billings at only 4.9% missed last year, 10.3% in 2019 and 8.6% in 2018. He didn't play enough in 2020 and 2021 to have stats. So it doesn't sound as if he's really as bad as they say, but considering how good he is at caving the pocket and also stuffing up run lanes, the tackling issue might not be cause for concern if it even is close to as bad as PFF suggests. The goal of a nose tackle isn't the same as for an attacking three technique.
DT Justin Jones: Finishing
Justin Jones last year probably played better than his sack total indicated but in the end he has to finish a great deal better on the pass rush. His 12 tackles for loss is close to holding up the run-stopping aspect of what the Bears want from a three technique. For example, DeForest Buckner of the Colts is often held up by coach Matt Eberflus as the model for a three technique in his scheme. And Buckner in his three Colts seasons hasn't had a season with 12 tackles for loss. He had 10, 11 and 11. But the amount of pass-rush pressure Jones generates needs to be much better and the sack/hits totals need to really climb. Here's why: Buckner averaged 22 quarterback hits, 12.3 knockdowns, 29 pressures and eight sacks over the last three years. Those were averages. Jones had three sacks, seven quarterback hits, two knockdowns and nine pressures. Jones is probably not going to even get the chance to approach bigger numbers if he does improve because second-round Gervon Dexter is going to get his reps, as will third-round rookie Zacch Pickens. It's going to be a rotation, but Jones needs to get off blocks, into the gap and finish on more pass rushes.
DE DeMarcus Walker: Adjusting
Walker is going from playing in a scheme where he was inside as a tackle as much as rushing off the edge. Between 2017 and 2022 he was over the tackle or outside of it 820 times and on the inside 790 plays. Last year 290 of his 426 plays came on the edge, either over the tackle or outside of him. For some reason, PFF graded him with the defensive tackles rather than edge players, but he is able to do both. The problem is he's coming to a different type of scheme where it's an even greater emphasis on attacking upfield than the one the Titans had deployed. If Walker can produce like last year it will be fine, but he's going to need to adjust to this alignment first.
MLB Tremaine Edmunds: Wrapping Up
The inability of Edmunds to finish after arriving with a hit on running plays has been something critics have complained about since he came into the league. It's part of the reason they say he's inconsistent but Edmunds definitely stuck this one back in the ear of his critics last year. Sportradar had him at one missed tackle out of 103 total tackle attempts. He had less than 1% missed tackles. Before that his miss percentages had been between 8.5% and 9.4% for three years. It was only as a rookie where it was excessive at 16.6%. Edmunds has improved his tackle percentage every single eyar and at only 25 years old there's every reason to think he'll continue to progress and become dominant.
WLB T.J. Edwards: Ballhawking
If Edwards plays like last year no one will be disappointed with the Bears but he can really ascend in the view of analysts while winning great admiration from Eberflus if he causes more turnovers by aggressively attacking the football. The weakside in this defense is supposed to be the one forcing turnovers. Shaq Leonard was a terminator when it came to this. The defensive line attacks in the gaps. Leonard and the weakside can come off and be the unexpected player attacking the ball. Leonard has 12 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and five recovereies in four seasons plus three games last year. There is no way Edwards would duplicate these type of numbers but he hasn't been enough of a player around the ball with the Eagles for the course of his career. He has two interceptions, two forced fumbles and has recovered two. Those numbers need to increase in this scheme by being on the ball with the same violent tackling style he displayed in Philadelphia as a middle linebacker when he made 159 tackles last year.
SLB Jack Sanborn: Pass Coverage
Sanborn wasn't terrible at this as a replacement for Nick Morrow when the Bears moved Morrow to weakside to replace Roquan Smith. He just was covering passes in a different way. He gave up 76.5% completions (13 of 17) when targeted in six starts and relief work in a few other games. His passer rating against was 95. Now, he's going to be moving and covering laterally more than being the deep drop in zone as a middle. He'll be directly on a tight end or even a back when they flare out. It's more likely to test his speed and actual ability to break up or pick off shorter throws. He'll apparently also need to cover better because he has job competition impressing coaches at the moment. Assistants say rookie Noah Sewell, the fifth-rounder from Oregon, made three interceptions in practices through Wednesday.
Slot CB Kyler Gordon: Mirroring
Keeping Gordon at one spot this year instead of rotating outside should help and because he has a real ability to blitz and be more physical in the running game, they could let him be more aggressive in Year 2. He could get moved outside once in a while, coaches said. But as a slot Gordon needs to become even more adept at man-to-man coverage, at mirroring the receivers who come down inside trying to get open over the middle. It's an art form and the Bears haven't had a really effective slot since Bryce Callahan in 2018. Gordon showed potential last year but needs to start to mirror opponents' moves.
Right CB Jaylon Johnson: Interceptions
He's there to break up passes, tracks and covers the best receivers opponents have but ultimately he has not been able to pick off passes. His only pick came in 2021. If he wants a contract extension and at a rate commensurate with the elite cornerbacks, he'd better work on taking the ball away from receivers in jump ball situations instead of breakups. Cornerbacks in this scheme need to be able to make plays on the ball, not just prevent a catch.
Left CB Kindle Vildor: Interceptions
Ditto for Vildor, who would seem to need to do it in a hurry because rookie Tyrique Stevenson is being fitted for his starting spot. Vildor dutifully works at left corner and his ability to break on passes to disrupt them improved without doubt last year. He has the physical skills with a 39 1/2-inch vertical leap and 4.44-second 40-yard dash but needs to apply correct leverage and be aggressive to the ball without giving up big plays. They need to see more from him like the interception he made against Minnesota last season.
S Jaquan Brisker: Gamble Less
Brisker gave up more touchdown passes last year than anyone on the Bears according to Sportradar. He allowed four, one more than Kyler Gordon who was in the difficult position of slot cornerback. He usually has the play diagnosed and has his assignment correct, with the possible exception of the QB draw Jalen Hurts scored on against the Bears. Brisker can't take as many risks with coverage in the future.
S Eddie Jackson: Be Physically Aware
Jackson played last year like he did during his best years under Matt Nagy. He just didn't play enough because of his season-ending foot injury. He was all over the field crashing on receivers or backs and it's what they needed, but he needs to be more cognizant of the big picture. After Jackson's season-ending injury, the Bears dropped from 11th in the league against the pass to 18th. They can't afford to be without Jackson because of the veteran leadership he provides for a bunch of young players, so he simply needs to emphasize playing it safe to avoid injuries.
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