The NFL has done everything in its power to ensure that offenses rule the roost these days. More points, more yards, and more touchdown celebrations. That makes for good football, right? A lot of people tend to disagree. One of the things that separated the NFL from the Arena or Canadian leagues was that defense had a prominent place. The Chicago Bears defense has taken it upon themselves to show why.
Who said defensive football can’t be exciting? That’s been the case for this group as they’ve provided memorable highlights all season long. They lead the league in takeaways including an impressive 26 interception. Certainly better than the eight they had in 2017. They also have 45 sacks led by the unstoppable combo of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks.
Last but not least? They’ve scored six defensive touchdowns. Never mind the fact they rank 2nd against the run. This isn’t a one-trick pony type of defense. They are the total package and one of the best seen since the 2015 Broncos or 2013 Seahawks. However, some even went a step further and indicated people haven’t seen one like this in decades.
Chicago Bears defense doing things that stopped happening in the ’80s
Michael David Smith of NBC Sports did some intriguing research on pass defenses over the years in regards the Bears’ uncanny success in 2018. He ended up coming away with a fascinating revelation. Proof again that while other teams love to make like they mastered the puzzle, nobody knows real defense like Chicago.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
“The average passer rating of quarterbacks facing the Bears this year is 73.0. That’s by far the lowest in the league and well below the league average passer rating of 93.1, and to find a year when all quarterbacks played as badly as quarterbacks play this year against the Bears, you have to go back 30 years: 1988 was the last season when the league average passer rating was below the 73.0 rating the Bears are allowing this season.”
It’s rather ironic that the Bears had the #1 defense in the NFL that year and ended up going to the NFC championship game. Indeed that felt like the end of an era as offenses took an even greater step into the spotlight in 1989 led by the unstoppable San Francisco 49ers or the no-huddle machines in Buffalo and Cincinnati.
The Bears understand that winning championships these days can’t be done without offense. That’s why they invested so heavily in Mitch Trubisky and the pieces around him. However, they managed to do so without losing the identity of their franchise, which is a physical and dominant defense. That should continue moving forward.
