The Chicago Bears defense didn’t become the “Monsters of the Midway” until George Halas put his stamp on it. Papa Bear was the one who built the great 1963 unit. He also made the fateful decision to keep Buddy Ryan at the request of his players in 1982, leading to the ascent of the 1985 defense. It always seems like a Halas is needed to jumpstart the next era of great defensive football.
Sure enough, it seems that tradition was upheld yet again. For the past several years, the Bears defense has struggled. It hit a low point in 2014, allowing back-to-back 50-point games during one stretch and just looking totally defeated. When GM Ryan Pace and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio arrived a year later, they inherited a hollowed out wreck.
Everything would have to be torn down and built up from scratch. Through tireless work over the next four offseasons, the fruits of their labor have come to pass. The Bears have the #5 overall defense in football, headlined by a pass rush that has 14 sacks in three games. For all the great work those two did though, star defensive end Akiem Hicks said the final push came from Halas’ daughter.
Bears DE Akiem Hicks revealed today that principal owner Virginia McCaskey addressed the team earlier this year and said, "The teams that won a lot of games around here were the ones that were most confident." Hicks says her comments resonated with them.
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) September 25, 2018
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Chicago Bears defense seems to have taken her advice
Virginia McCaskey doesn’t make the new too often. She’s 95-years old and has never been the primary decision-maker in regards to football operations since she claimed ownership following her father’s death. However, she bleeds navy blue and orange just like he did. She watched the Bears organization grow up from its earliest days to what it is now. Her greatest desire is to see it successful.
It’s only natural she’d know what previous winning teams in this town tend to act like.
There’s no doubt the Bears are playing with more confidence than they have in years. Especially on defense. They’re acting like a unit that knows its good and isn’t afraid to say so. The addition of Khalil Mack has undoubtedly led to this sudden swelling of pride, but they were already headed in the right direction before his arrival. Either way, it’s refreshing to see the players acting like they believe they’re going to win again.
McCaskey may not have been the primary driving force in this turnaround, but like any rocket ship, a little spark is needed to take off. Perhaps that’s what she offered with her pep talk a few weeks ago.
