The Chicago Bears May Have Finally Turned a Corner on Defense
Has the Chicago Bears' Defense Turned a Corner?
Chicago's defense entered Week 4 after a dominant performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. The question was whether they could do it again in Week 4.
The Bears' Defense Dominated the New York Jets
On Sunday, the defense showed up again. Chicago's defense put together another great performance, allowing only 178 total yards.
Pairing a solid defense with Ben Johnson's offense could make the Bears a Super Bowl contender.
The Bears' Defense Dominated the New York Jets
Chicago allowed 119 passing yards and 59 rushing yards against the Jets on Sunday.
Although the Jets' offense had several injuries heading into the game, no one expected them to put up this poor of a performance.
New York was missing Breece Hall, Adonai Mitchell and Mason Taylor. Last week, the Jets put up 24 points and 379 total yards of offense against the Detroit Lions. Taylor and Mitchell also missed that game, meaning Hall was the only one of the three who was healthy against Detroit but unavailable against Chicago.
The Jets were able to focus on Garrett Wilson and their tight ends against the Lions. But Chicago was able to take away Wilson and the tight ends. It's important to note that Detroit has a putrid secondary, which made it easier for the Jets to find success through the air.
Even so, there have been questions about the Bears' secondary through the first month of the season. The Bears were still able to take away New York's passing game and hold Braelon Allen to 59 rushing yards.
Although Allen is not as explosive as Hall, he's still a solid back. Holding him below 100 yards is another positive sign for the Bears' defense.
The Bears' Pass Rush Is Starting to Come Along
Another encouraging part of the Bears' defensive performance was the pass rush. Chicago has needed to see more consistent pressure from its defensive line, and Sunday was another step in the right direction.
While the defensive line recorded two sacks, they were consistently in the backfield. Austin Booker and Devin Bush both recorded sacks.
However, the pressure the Bears' defense generated was a big improvement. Consistently being in the backfield speeds up the quarterback's internal clock. That can force off-target throws and interceptions.
The goal, however, is still to sack the quarterback. The defensive line still has work to do to finish plays with the quarterback on the ground.
The Defense Is Giving the Bears a Chance to Win
The only blemish on the day for Chicago's defense was a 58-yard touchdown allowed by Tyrique Stevenson. That play summarizes Stevenson's career pretty well: playing well and then having one big mistake.
Moving past that, if the Bears' defense keeps playing this well, the team has a chance to make the Super Bowl. The Bears scored 23 points Sunday while making mistakes and missing opportunities.
The Bears' opening drive of the game ended with a failed fourth-and-goal conversion from the half-yard line. The offense also scuffled multiple times inside the 20-yard line.
On top of that, Tyson Bagent didn't have a clean day. The former Division II quarterback threw one interception but had three others called back because of defensive penalties.
With how well the Bears' defense was playing, though, they still may have been able to overcome the turnovers.
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