How the Patriots and Seahawks defenses can be models for the Bears

You might not be able to recognize more than two players from the New England Patriots if they passed you in the street, even if you’re a Pats fan. But this same defense has arguably carried the Patriots to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in five year even more so than MVP-hopeful Drake Maye.

Aside from some brilliant coaching from defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr, who has done an unbelievable job in relief of the team’s original DC Terrell Williams, their team-building strategy is the biggest reason for that. And the Bears need to do emulate that in Year 2 under Ben Johnson.

The Patriots didn’t have elite talent at any defensive position, except for lockdown cornerback Christian Gonzalez, coming into this year. So they had to figure out where to invest to improve the languid unit while also helping protect and support Drake Maye in his second year.

They chose to pony up for free-agent defensive tackle Milton Williams, who helped anchor the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl championship last year, signing him to a four-year, $104 million deal. He promptly turned the Patriots into the best run defense in the league over the first half of the season when he was healthy, and re-ignited the unit in the postseason when he returned from injury. Then they signed or extended several solid linebackers, like Robert Spillane, Jahlani Tavai, Harold Landry, and Anfernee Jennings to play around Williams and Christian Barmore, who had previously been the Patriots’ big-ticket name on defense.

Basically, they invested in the defensive line, especially in stopping the run, and a lot of good scheme fits around them who could do their jobs

Turns out, you could say this about the team they’re playing in the Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks, as well. They took a three-year, $42 million flyer on 33-year-old ex-Cowboy star DeMarcus Lawrence to see if he had anything left in the tank. He has since helped anchor the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. Interestingly, the Seahawks’ linebacking corps, led by Ernest Jones IV, don’t have any major name-brand talent, either.

Contrast that with the Chicago Bears, who splurged on the likes of Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards in the second year of the Matt Eberflus experiment. Two years later, both are likely to be gone. Meanwhile, the players in front of them haven’t performed consistently well enough to take advantage of their talents.

That’s why the Bears could stand to take a page out of these teams’ books.

If you’re not going to take a swing on a top edge rusher like Maxx Crosby (via trade) or Trey Hendrickson (free agency), the next best thing—maybe even the best thing—is to shore up the middle. Lions interior defender DJ Reader is about to hit free agency. Perhaps he’d like to come play for Ben Johnson.

And, as most mock drafts seem to be predicting these days, the Bears could look hard at Ohio State run-stuffer Kayden McDonald to suffocate offenses on first and second down.

As passing yards per game continue to decrease around the league, with defenses using more clever disguises and playing with two deep safeties more often, running the ball has become a bigger part of offensive football than it has been in a while. As such, stopping the run matters more than it ever has, as does pushing the pocket from the inside.

Chicago was missing both those things this season, and its defense struggled as a result. The Bears need to change that in 2026.

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