Comparing Chuck Pagano's Bears to 2011 Baltimore Ravens defe
Jun 4, 2019 6:03:32 GMT -6
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Comparing Chuck Pagano's Bears to 2011 Baltimore Ravens defense
ByMATT EURICH 14 hours ago
Chuck Pagano has more experience as an NFL head coach than he does as a defensive coordinator. He held that coordinator role with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 before becoming the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The 2019 season will mark a return to the coordinator role with the Chicago Bears. He is taking over one of the league's best units from the season before after Vic Fangio left to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos.
Pagano has walked into a great situation in Chicago. He has a trio of All-Pro players in Khalil Mack, Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson and seemingly very few holes on his side of the ball. He has a dominant 5-technique defensive end in Akiem Hicks and young star on the rise in inside linebacker Roquan Smith. Pagano has noted he does not want to change too much of what made this defense so good under Fangio last year.
"We're still working through that," Pagano said earlier this offseason when asked about potential changes. "It would be foolish on my part not to have some carryover considering what they've done. Vic and I were together at one point in Baltimore so there are some common threads that run through both systems. That's a good thing for these guys and for myself."
To get a better sense of what this unit could do with Pagano at the helm, Bears on 247Sports is taking a look back at Pagano's unit was able to do in his lone season as a coordinator for the Ravens.
STAR COMPARISONS
It is not exactly fair to put some of Chicago's current high-end players on the same pedestal as the greats that the Ravens had on their roster, but there are definitely some comparisons to be made.
That 2011 Ravens squad was stacked with talent on the defensive side of the ball. They had a talented free safety making plays all over of the field, an underrated nose tackle who could create pressure against the run and as a pass-rusher, an inside linebacker who could do everything right and a pass-rusher at the top of his game. That sure sounds pretty similar to what the Bears currently have on their roster.
ROQUAN SMITH IS RAY LEWIS
This is in no way suggesting Smith is on the fast track to the Hall of Fame after one season, but he has been compared to Lewis in the past.
"This kid [Roquan Smith] is a reincarnation of Ray Lewis," former Ravens college director of scouting Phil Savage said in an interview with Sirius XM. “He’s got passion, energy, burst, acceleration. He makes players around him better.”
That is lofty praise from Savage. Smith saw action in every game last season and recorded 122 tackles, five sacks, one interception and five pass deflections. Lewis recorded 95 tackles, two sacks, seven pass deflections and one interception during the 2011 season with the Ravens. The Hall of Famer is regarded as one of the best linebackers in NFL history. He was a ruthless defender who could attack downhill, get after the quarterback or drop into coverage. Those are all traits that Smith possesses in his arsenal.
EDDIE JACKSON IS ED REED
This comparison has a little more backing to it. Jackson has quickly developed into one of the league's most dynamic young safeties. Reed was known during his time in the NFL as being one of the most opportunistic safeties around.
Reed was the 23rd overall pick of the Ravens in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Miami. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004. He also led the NFL in interceptions in 2004, 2008 and 2010. He has already been named to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor and was a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s.
Jackson is coming off a 2018 season in which he recorded 51 tackles, 15 pass deflections, six interceptions and two forced fumbles. He earned his first All-Pro honor last season. Reed totaled 52 tackles, one sack and three interceptions for the Ravens during the 2011 season.
There is a good chance that Khalil Mack ends up being better than Terrell Suggs. Both have had strong NFL careers and Suggs had one of his best years with Pagano as his coordinator in 2011.
KHALIL MACK IS TERRELL SUGGS
Suggs ended that season with 60 tackles, a career-high 14 sacks, six pass deflections and two interceptions. He went on to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award that season. He was with the Ravens between 2003 and 2018 before signing with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. He recorded 846 tackles, 132.5 tackles, one safety, 60 pass deflections and seven interceptions during his run with the Ravens.
Mack is entering his second season with the Bears. He recorded 47 tackles, 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and one interception. He has recorded 351 tackles, 53 sacks, 15 pass deflections and two interceptions in just five NFL seasons. He also has a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name.
EDDIE GOLDMAN IS HALOTI NGATA
This comparison has more to do with what the players do on the field than their actual abilities. Ngata and Goldman are both listed at 6'4" but Ngata has 20 pounds on Goldman when it comes to measurements. But why they are similar is because they are both disruptive players.
Ngata started all 16 games during the 2011 season and recorded 64 tackles, five sacks, five pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He retired earlier this offseason after racking up 515 tackles, 32.5 sacks, 37 pass deflections, five interceptions and seven forced fumbles between 2006 and 2018 with the Ravens, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles.
Goldman is coming off a strong fourth year in Chicago in 2018. He started all 16 games and recorded 40 tackles, three sacks and one safety. The young nose tackle has recorded 124 tackles, 11.5 sacks, one safety and one pass deflection.
Ngata was asked to be an anchor on the interior of the defensive line for Pagano and Goldman will likely be asked the same.
KYLE FULLER IS LARDARIUS WEBB
Much like the 2018 season was a breakout year for Kyle Fuller with the Bears, the 2011 season was a breakout year for Lardarius Webb with the Ravens. Webb had recorded two interceptions in two seasons with Baltimore before recording a career-high five interceptions in 2011. He ended the season with 67 tackles, 20 pass deflections, one sack and one forced fumble to go with those five interceptions.
Fuller enter last season with six career interceptions before recording 55 tackles, 21 pass deflections and seven interceptions. Fuller was later named an All-Pro for his efforts during the season.
Both Fuller and Webb are similarly built cornerbacks with Webb coming in at 5'10" and 182 pounds and Fuller measuring in at 5'11" and 190 pounds.
HA HA CLINTON-DIX IS BERNARD POLLARD
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is more of a free safety than a strong safety but he will likely play more strong safety with Eddie Jackson on the roster. He will slide into the role held by Bernard Pollard on that 2011 team. Pollard finished the year with 75 tackles, 13 pass deflections, one interception and two sacks. Pagano used Pollard up in the box against the run and was not afraid to use Pollard as a blitzer.
Clinton-Dix is entering his first year with the Bears in 2019. A first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2014, Clinton-Dix has reocrded 44 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 28 pass deflections and 14 interceptions in his NFL career. His ability against the run has been a bit underrated since entering the league and he also has a history of being success as a blitzer.
BY THE NUMBERS
Pagano's lone season as the defensive coordinator for Baltimore saw the unit put up impressive numbers. The team finished third in the league in yards allowed, giving up 288.9 yards per game. Baltimore was also third in points allowed by giving up 16.6 points per game that season. The unit was second against the run (92.6 yards per game) and fourth against the pass (196.2 yards per game). The Ravens were 17th in the league with 15 interceptions and tied for third in the NFL with 48 sacks.
When looking at what the Bears did a year ago, Pagano's unit fell right in line in most of those categories.
The Bears finished second in total defense in 2018, giving up 299.7 yards per game. The unit was first against the run (80.0 yards per game) and seventh against the pass (219.7 yards per game). Chicago was the top scoring defense in the league, giving up just 17.7 points per game. They were also first in interceptions with 27 and third in sacks with 50.
BEARS HAVE HIGHER UPSIDE TAKING THE BALL AWAY
The Bears defense has more playmakers than Pagano had on his 2011 squad. That 2011 team recorded 15 interceptions, 22 forced fumbles, returned one interception for a touchdown and brought back three forced fumbles for a touchdown.
Chicago intercepted 27 passes last year and forced 18 fumbles. Five of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns and one of those fumbles was returned for a touchdown. Jackson has had a knack for scoring touchdowns in his young career. He returned two interceptions for a touchdown and one forced fumble for a touchdown. Prince Amukamara, Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd all returned interceptions for touchdowns last season.
PASS-RUSHING VERSATILITY
One big shared area between this current version of the Bears and that 2011 Ravens squad is that both teams have numerous players who can consistently get after the quarterback. Suggs led the way with his 14 sacks for the Ravens that year. He was followed by Pernell McPhee's six sacks. Pass-rusher Paul Kruger had 5.5 sacks, Ngata had five sacks and defensive end Cory Redding had 4.5 sacks of his own.
Chicago obvious has Mack, but a host of other players have the ability to get after the quarterback. Leonard Floyd is poised to have a strong season under Pagano and veteran Aaron Lynch can also put up solid sack totals. Akiem Hicks is another player along the line of scrimmage who can put up big numbers.
more fluff/fliller then actual breakdown of the 2 teams, but there is something to the idea that this Bears team is built similar to that Ravens team, and now have the same coach.
Comparing Chuck Pagano's Bears to 2011 Baltimore Ravens defense
ByMATT EURICH 14 hours ago
Chuck Pagano has more experience as an NFL head coach than he does as a defensive coordinator. He held that coordinator role with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 before becoming the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The 2019 season will mark a return to the coordinator role with the Chicago Bears. He is taking over one of the league's best units from the season before after Vic Fangio left to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos.
Pagano has walked into a great situation in Chicago. He has a trio of All-Pro players in Khalil Mack, Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson and seemingly very few holes on his side of the ball. He has a dominant 5-technique defensive end in Akiem Hicks and young star on the rise in inside linebacker Roquan Smith. Pagano has noted he does not want to change too much of what made this defense so good under Fangio last year.
"We're still working through that," Pagano said earlier this offseason when asked about potential changes. "It would be foolish on my part not to have some carryover considering what they've done. Vic and I were together at one point in Baltimore so there are some common threads that run through both systems. That's a good thing for these guys and for myself."
To get a better sense of what this unit could do with Pagano at the helm, Bears on 247Sports is taking a look back at Pagano's unit was able to do in his lone season as a coordinator for the Ravens.
STAR COMPARISONS
It is not exactly fair to put some of Chicago's current high-end players on the same pedestal as the greats that the Ravens had on their roster, but there are definitely some comparisons to be made.
That 2011 Ravens squad was stacked with talent on the defensive side of the ball. They had a talented free safety making plays all over of the field, an underrated nose tackle who could create pressure against the run and as a pass-rusher, an inside linebacker who could do everything right and a pass-rusher at the top of his game. That sure sounds pretty similar to what the Bears currently have on their roster.
ROQUAN SMITH IS RAY LEWIS
This is in no way suggesting Smith is on the fast track to the Hall of Fame after one season, but he has been compared to Lewis in the past.
"This kid [Roquan Smith] is a reincarnation of Ray Lewis," former Ravens college director of scouting Phil Savage said in an interview with Sirius XM. “He’s got passion, energy, burst, acceleration. He makes players around him better.”
That is lofty praise from Savage. Smith saw action in every game last season and recorded 122 tackles, five sacks, one interception and five pass deflections. Lewis recorded 95 tackles, two sacks, seven pass deflections and one interception during the 2011 season with the Ravens. The Hall of Famer is regarded as one of the best linebackers in NFL history. He was a ruthless defender who could attack downhill, get after the quarterback or drop into coverage. Those are all traits that Smith possesses in his arsenal.
EDDIE JACKSON IS ED REED
This comparison has a little more backing to it. Jackson has quickly developed into one of the league's most dynamic young safeties. Reed was known during his time in the NFL as being one of the most opportunistic safeties around.
Reed was the 23rd overall pick of the Ravens in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Miami. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004. He also led the NFL in interceptions in 2004, 2008 and 2010. He has already been named to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor and was a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s.
Jackson is coming off a 2018 season in which he recorded 51 tackles, 15 pass deflections, six interceptions and two forced fumbles. He earned his first All-Pro honor last season. Reed totaled 52 tackles, one sack and three interceptions for the Ravens during the 2011 season.
There is a good chance that Khalil Mack ends up being better than Terrell Suggs. Both have had strong NFL careers and Suggs had one of his best years with Pagano as his coordinator in 2011.
KHALIL MACK IS TERRELL SUGGS
Suggs ended that season with 60 tackles, a career-high 14 sacks, six pass deflections and two interceptions. He went on to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award that season. He was with the Ravens between 2003 and 2018 before signing with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. He recorded 846 tackles, 132.5 tackles, one safety, 60 pass deflections and seven interceptions during his run with the Ravens.
Mack is entering his second season with the Bears. He recorded 47 tackles, 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and one interception. He has recorded 351 tackles, 53 sacks, 15 pass deflections and two interceptions in just five NFL seasons. He also has a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name.
EDDIE GOLDMAN IS HALOTI NGATA
This comparison has more to do with what the players do on the field than their actual abilities. Ngata and Goldman are both listed at 6'4" but Ngata has 20 pounds on Goldman when it comes to measurements. But why they are similar is because they are both disruptive players.
Ngata started all 16 games during the 2011 season and recorded 64 tackles, five sacks, five pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He retired earlier this offseason after racking up 515 tackles, 32.5 sacks, 37 pass deflections, five interceptions and seven forced fumbles between 2006 and 2018 with the Ravens, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles.
Goldman is coming off a strong fourth year in Chicago in 2018. He started all 16 games and recorded 40 tackles, three sacks and one safety. The young nose tackle has recorded 124 tackles, 11.5 sacks, one safety and one pass deflection.
Ngata was asked to be an anchor on the interior of the defensive line for Pagano and Goldman will likely be asked the same.
KYLE FULLER IS LARDARIUS WEBB
Much like the 2018 season was a breakout year for Kyle Fuller with the Bears, the 2011 season was a breakout year for Lardarius Webb with the Ravens. Webb had recorded two interceptions in two seasons with Baltimore before recording a career-high five interceptions in 2011. He ended the season with 67 tackles, 20 pass deflections, one sack and one forced fumble to go with those five interceptions.
Fuller enter last season with six career interceptions before recording 55 tackles, 21 pass deflections and seven interceptions. Fuller was later named an All-Pro for his efforts during the season.
Both Fuller and Webb are similarly built cornerbacks with Webb coming in at 5'10" and 182 pounds and Fuller measuring in at 5'11" and 190 pounds.
HA HA CLINTON-DIX IS BERNARD POLLARD
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is more of a free safety than a strong safety but he will likely play more strong safety with Eddie Jackson on the roster. He will slide into the role held by Bernard Pollard on that 2011 team. Pollard finished the year with 75 tackles, 13 pass deflections, one interception and two sacks. Pagano used Pollard up in the box against the run and was not afraid to use Pollard as a blitzer.
Clinton-Dix is entering his first year with the Bears in 2019. A first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2014, Clinton-Dix has reocrded 44 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 28 pass deflections and 14 interceptions in his NFL career. His ability against the run has been a bit underrated since entering the league and he also has a history of being success as a blitzer.
BY THE NUMBERS
Pagano's lone season as the defensive coordinator for Baltimore saw the unit put up impressive numbers. The team finished third in the league in yards allowed, giving up 288.9 yards per game. Baltimore was also third in points allowed by giving up 16.6 points per game that season. The unit was second against the run (92.6 yards per game) and fourth against the pass (196.2 yards per game). The Ravens were 17th in the league with 15 interceptions and tied for third in the NFL with 48 sacks.
When looking at what the Bears did a year ago, Pagano's unit fell right in line in most of those categories.
The Bears finished second in total defense in 2018, giving up 299.7 yards per game. The unit was first against the run (80.0 yards per game) and seventh against the pass (219.7 yards per game). Chicago was the top scoring defense in the league, giving up just 17.7 points per game. They were also first in interceptions with 27 and third in sacks with 50.
BEARS HAVE HIGHER UPSIDE TAKING THE BALL AWAY
The Bears defense has more playmakers than Pagano had on his 2011 squad. That 2011 team recorded 15 interceptions, 22 forced fumbles, returned one interception for a touchdown and brought back three forced fumbles for a touchdown.
Chicago intercepted 27 passes last year and forced 18 fumbles. Five of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns and one of those fumbles was returned for a touchdown. Jackson has had a knack for scoring touchdowns in his young career. He returned two interceptions for a touchdown and one forced fumble for a touchdown. Prince Amukamara, Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd all returned interceptions for touchdowns last season.
PASS-RUSHING VERSATILITY
One big shared area between this current version of the Bears and that 2011 Ravens squad is that both teams have numerous players who can consistently get after the quarterback. Suggs led the way with his 14 sacks for the Ravens that year. He was followed by Pernell McPhee's six sacks. Pass-rusher Paul Kruger had 5.5 sacks, Ngata had five sacks and defensive end Cory Redding had 4.5 sacks of his own.
Chicago obvious has Mack, but a host of other players have the ability to get after the quarterback. Leonard Floyd is poised to have a strong season under Pagano and veteran Aaron Lynch can also put up solid sack totals. Akiem Hicks is another player along the line of scrimmage who can put up big numbers.
more fluff/fliller then actual breakdown of the 2 teams, but there is something to the idea that this Bears team is built similar to that Ravens team, and now have the same coach.
