Rest for the Weary Bears Pass Rushers

Montez Sweat needs rest, too.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus defends the use of Sweat on the number of plays he's been getting, even after he was absent for some key plays on Sunday's game-deciding drives. Sweat is part of a rotation on the defensive line, and needs to get rest says the Bears coach.

It's not a finite number of snaps for rest, Eberflus maintained on Wednesday. It's how many plays in a given drive that determines if the defensive end should get to the sidelines for a play or two.

"I think you just keep looking at it," Eberflus said. "I think it depends on the drive. The drives matter. Is it a 15-play drive? Is it an eight-play drive? It's always great when we go three-and-out. That's easy. But yeah, you just look at the drives.

"And I think the flow of the games is different. Last game, the flow of the game was kind of different, right?"

Eberflus pointed out plays at game's end are in two-minute mode and potentially more wearing because they are no-huddle.

Sweat has no special desire to come out a set number of plays, but thought Sunday's total was about right. He played 39 plays.

"Generally, I want to be there every play," he said. "But the body and the heal doesn't really work like that. As much fresh as I can be out there, that's what I want to do."

The number of snaps for Sweat Sunday wasn't really too far off from what he had last year with Washington, although nowhere near the total he was getting this season in Washington. Sweat averaged 43 plays a game last year, just 1.2 more than he is averaging for three games in Chicago and 4.1 less than he averaged for the Commanders earlier this year.

It is on the low side compared to some of the best sack artists in the NFL this season.

Sack Output/Plays

Top Sack Artists, sacks, plays per game

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns: 13 sacks, 45.9 plays

Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings: 12 sacks, 58.1 plays

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers: 11.5 sacks, 62.1 plays

Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers: 11 sacks, 55.6 plays

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders: 10.5 sacks, 66.4 plays

Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants: 10.5 sacks, 56.2 plays

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys: 10.0 sacks, 48.7 plays

Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars: 9.5 sacks, 49.9 plays

Leonard Floyd, Buffalo Bills: 9.5 sacks, 33.9 plays

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals: 9.5 sacks, 45.9 plays

Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens: 9.5 sacks, 45.2 plays

Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles: 8.5 sacks, 48.9 plays

Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears: 1 sack, 41.3 plays

Montez Sweat, Washington Commanders: 6.5 sacks, 47.1 plays

Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs: 7.5 sacks, 44.7 plays

"These are pro athletes and they've played a lot of football, so you leave it to him (to decide)," Eberflus said. "When he's exhausted and needs to take a play or two, you let him, then get back in there as fast as you can. When there's a stoppage in play, get back in there. I think that's always been best practice.

"Some guys stay out and they just want to stay out there and you can clearly see they’re tired and their effectiveness goes down. You want to keep your rushers fresh and that's just the whole mode of doing that."

Sweat's workload wasn't the only one being questioned. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was in a rotation and missed plenty of plays at game's end. However, he was limited more because he is playing with a knee injury.

The Bears also rotated in cornerback Terell Smith for Tyrique Stevenson even though Stevenson was enjoying his highest coverage grades and overall grades, according to Pro Football Focus.

"He's another guy that's coming off a break and we got him back in there," Eberflus said. "He's been practicing really well. We really like Smitty a lot. We like Tyrique.

"For us being able to get those guys in there, those young corners in there, is important. Just like we did with Gordon last year, just like we did with Brisker last year. The development of those players in the secondary is really important to us and Smitty's no different. Tyrique had a heck of a game with the interception."

Smith picked off a slant and the maneuver he used to do it was something defensive backs coach Jon Hoke had drilled them on last week.

"With Smitty coming in there, great, really good young player that's developing," Eberflus said. "Needs to get those situations in there so he can continue to grow as a player moving forward, because he's going to be a big part of our future."

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