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Bears Defensive Rut Says They Badly Need a Boost from Trade Market

Despite takeaways, the Bears have given up over 400 yards of offense in four of their last five games and badly need some sort of boost.
Gene Chamberlain|
Panthers receiver Jalen Coker scores despite a last-ditch dive by Tyrique Stevenson.
Panthers receiver Jalen Coker scores despite a last-ditch dive by Tyrique Stevenson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

The Bears searched for things they did well defensively after their 59-37 win over Carolina, and beyond the two defensive takeaways it became more of a selective process.

It's easy to wonder if they haven't regressed to a low point defensively because they allowed 478 total yards, and troubles date back to last year. In their last three regular-season games, they have given up 496, 433 and 478 yards, plus the playoff effort last year was 421 against Green Bay.

It's the kind of defensive trend that will lead to people wondering about the defensive side coaching staff at some point if it continues.

"I think we played the run really well, stopping some of the things they wanted to do in the run game," defensive tackle Grady Jarrett told reporters afterward. "Some late breakout runs, some of the quarterback scrambles and a little leaked yardage at the end kind of skewed the running stats."

Grady Jarrett was PFF grade winner

Jarrett was part of this and came away with their highest run defense grade per Pro Football Focus at a good number of 71.6. Defensive tackle Neville Gallimore was right behind him by a few points. Stopping the run was a huge need for this year after an abysmal 2025, but they did allow the 125 yards.

It is accurate on Jarrett's part to say it was a case where the Panthers gained some meaningless rushing yards after the verdict had been decided. Carolina's subs accounted for 52 yards on six attempts on the final drive of the game. Prior to that, the Panthers had 73 yards on 16 carries. They probably would take that type of defensive effort every week.

They also held Carolina to 13 second-half points. It's the type of effort to inspire talks of the Monsters of the Midway, but they did get tougher after the half.

"First game, you know stuff is not going to go well right at first," safety Dillon Thieneman said. "So to be able to get a little bit of a break (at halftime) and be able to talk through some more things, I felt like we just went out there and were communicating."

Of course, they did have the turnovers. Jaylon Johnson forced the fumble on Thieneman's tackle that Devin Bush recovered. Slot cornerback Malik Muhammad made an interception just before the half in his first NFL game.

The 361 passing yards allowed served as an invitation to passers they face in the future.

Something else that must be remembered is Ben Johnson basically handed points to the Panthers by going for a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter at his own 21. The defense allowed a touchdown. The best they could have expected was giving up a field goal.

"We gotta thrive in those situations," defensive end Montez Sweat said. "We know what type of coach we got. He's going to be aggressive on fourth down and early downs, so we've just got to be better in that situation and we will be."

The front four had three QB hits and two sacks, one sack each for Sweat and Kentavius Street, but by and large they were no more effective against Carolina than their secondary.

The defense had some of the most miserable Pro Football Focus grades possible. T.J. Edwards had the worst tackling grade (22.3), with Tyrique Stevenson right there, too (29.4). Edwards was their lowest-graded defensive player overall (30.0) and Stevenson was close (34.1).

Change didn't help

The Bears defense had one major change right before the game and that was Xavier Woods being unavailable at safety due to a groin injury. It triggered two moves, because then Cam Lewis had to move back to safety from slot cornerback and rookie Malik Muhammad had to start at slot cornerback.

They couldn't really use this as an excuse because Woods had fewer practice reps in training camp/preseason at safety than Lewis. Besides, Lewis was their most effective tackler Sunday per PFF. Also, Muhammad was playing slot cornerback almost all of training camp/preseason because they moved him there when Kyler Gordon couldn't answer the bell at the start of training camp.

"We made our adjustments coming in at halftime but we've got to be better coming out (to start) games," Sweat said. "And that's all three phases."

Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo was a non-factor in his return from an Achilles tear. The boost some thought would come from preseason wonder Jordan van den Berg never came. He had some of the defense's worst PFF grades.

Scoring 28 points after the score was tied 31-31 in the third quarter isn't going to happen every week, if any week in the future. This week's opponent, Minnesota, showed it can close, too.

The Bears defense can't afford to rely on the ready-made crutches that their explosive offense provides. They need to provide more than two takeaways and two sacks. They need consistent pass pressure and tackles for loss.

The situation is one that cries out for some kind of trade, either at edge rusher or possibly a secondary position. However, both the teams with edge rushers who could be available won their openers. Teams winning don't deal away players. That would be Las Vegas and Arizona.

It would be negligence to waste offensive play like they showed they're capable of accomplishing by letting opponents move the ball at will against their own defense.

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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.

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