Many in the NFL think the Chicago Bears defense will take a step down under Chuck Pagano. That’s an easy prediction to make. The unit finished 1st in most categories last year. The odds of repeating that feat are long. Pagano, of course, wants to duplicate or even exceed those total in 2019. However, simply getting the unit back into the top five will serve the purposes of keeping this team in games throughout the season.
Things may change a bit under Pagano though. He’s not Vic Fangio. That is neither a good nor a bad thing. It’s simply a fact. Both come from different backgrounds. Fangio was known for his work with linebackers. Pagano with defensive backs. One was in the NFL by the late 1980s. The latter didn’t arrive until the early 2000s. The way they see the game is different based on their upbringings and personal philosophies.
One key difference may be in how they view pressuring the quarterback. Fangio was much more the patient man. He liked to rush four, drop seven and keep everything in front of thing. Only in certain situations would he bring the blitz. Typically 3rd and long. Pagano was known during his brief time as a defensive coordinator back in 2011 for having a more “aggressive” mindset. He liked using creative blitz packages to keep opposing quarterbacks off balance.
It can be devastating when one has the right players, and he may have that with the Bears. That said, there is a good reason to think he should resist those urges in the opener against Green Bay.
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Chuck Pagano must not underestimate Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is one of the two best quarterbacks in the NFL. He’ll be in the Hall of Fame someday and possibly go down as the greatest ever if he can win a couple more Super Bowls. One of the reasons he is so good is an ability to identify and counter what defenses are trying to do to him before the snap. Specifically in regards to identifying when and where blitzes are coming from. Rodgers is one of the best in football at beating them.
Last season against the blitz, the Packers star quarterback completed 82 passes for 1,071 yards and nine touchdowns without a single interception. He finished with a 102.8 passer rating. The Bears know full well how lethal he can be in those situations. Two of the most gutwrenching passes Rodgers ever threw against them were on plays they tried to blitz him. One was the 48-yard Hail Mary to Randall Cobb in 2013 to lose the division title. The other was the 75-yard throw to Cobb last year to complete their 24-23 comeback in Green Bay.
His ability to scramble out of trouble and find the open man against heavy pressure is legendary. Not blitzing him at all isn’t an option, but doing it a lot also brings huge risks. Pagano must try to find a happy media and force Rodgers to work his way down the field. It’s hardly a perfect strategy, but it’s the best one available.
