There’s more to playing good defense than sacking the quarterback or intercepting the pass. Sure those things are key, but their effectiveness can be limited if a unit is sparse in other areas. The Los Angeles Chargers had the third-best pass defense in the NFL last year but only ranked 15th overall. Why was that? They were terrible at stopping the run, allowing 131.1 yards per game. The Chicago Bears made sure not to fall into that same trap.
One of the big reasons in coordinator Vic Fangio. No, this has nothing to do with scheming or play calling. Instead people need to recognize how good he is at teaching fundamentals to his players. It’s not that he’s able to pull talent out of them. It’s that he’s able to streamline what it means to play a position the correct way.
That’s why so many of his players love him. He’s honest and upfront about his thoughts and knows how to fix their problems so they can become better football players. That is what most of these young men want. Nothing showcases this ability by Fangio better than what he’s done for the inside linebackers.
Chicago Bears ILBs ranked among best tacklers in the NFL
Tackling is a lost art in the NFL these days. Most feel the key to success is getting that sack, interception, or big hit. The problem is many players will sacrifice their other duties on defense for the chance to deliver one of those things. Too often this leads to the opponent getting a big play instead, often to the detriment of the final score.
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Fangio has made it clear to his units that this will not be tolerated. That’s why the Bears have consistently ranked among the best in the league at limiting yards after contact. No position has led by greater example than their inside linebackers according to Pro Football Focus.
In 11 games last season, second-year man Nick Kwiatkoski ranked third in run-stop percentage. His secret. He didn’t miss a single tackle.
“Kwiatkoski also wasn’t tagged for a missed tackle against the run all season. He still has to share time on the field with Danny Trevathan and newly-drafted Roquan Smith but should be able to capitalize on a great sophomore year after being drafted in the fourth round from West Virginia in 2016. Overall, Kwiatkoski was graded as the NFL’s 12th-best inside linebacker, higher than both Spaight and Hitchens.”
He wasn’t alone.
Teammate Danny Trevathan ranked fourth in the league in combined tackling efficiency. This meant that it didn’t matter if teams ran at him or threw at him. If he got his hands on whoever touched the football, they were going to end up on the ground.
“Trevathan missed only one tackle in the passing game and three in the running game. He recorded 34 total tackles against the pass despite just the one missed tackle after the catch.”
Huge reason Ryan Pace signed Trevathan is his speed and it's on display Wk 1 vs. Houston. Excited to see what he does this season. #Bears pic.twitter.com/2CJEsYnn9a
— Thomas Gibbons (@ThomasGibbons_3) July 5, 2017
What’s scary is Fangio has more talent to play with at inside linebacker than ever before. Not only are Trevathan and Kwiatkoski back. They’re joined by acclaimed first round pick Roquan Smith, fresh off his dominant run at Georgia. If the defensive coordinator can have the same beneficial impact on him as he did the others, there’s no telling how much better this defense can be moving forward.
