Defense Looks To Add To A Surprising First Half.............
Nov 9, 2016 7:03:30 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2016 7:03:30 GMT -6
Midseason review: Bears' defense look to show strides in 2nd half
Dan Wiederer Contact Reporter
With improved health and continued growth, the Bears believe they will have a chance to exhibit marked progress in the season's second half. Last Monday's 20-10 throttling of the Vikings should provide a confidence boost.
Now it's about turning snippets of promise into sustained success. At the season's midpoint, the team has had plenty to dissect and discuss. Here's our midseason review of the defensive development.
Most Valuable Player
Jerrell Freeman's importance has been on display since the season's beginning when he had a team-best 17 tackles in the opener at Houston. A week later, he delivered his most emphatic hit, a crushing shot on Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood that forced an incompletion.
That's Freeman at his best, reacting quickly with his instincts and delivering a pop when he hits.
Through eight weeks, league stats credit Freeman with 72 tackles, fifth best overall. But it's not just the volume of tackles that illustrates his play. He also has displayed high energy while proving steadfast. And it shouldn't be overlooked that, because of injury and experimentation, Freeman has spent time on the field with five different partners at inside linebacker.
Freeman himself has been on the field for all but six of the defense's 554 snaps. And the hope moving forward is that his union with Danny Trevathan will only strengthen now that Trevathan is healthy and back in form.
"It all starts with the respect the guys have for them," linebackers coach Glenn Pires said of the pair. "They have accomplished a lot. And they set great examples in all phases — in the meeting room, on the practice field, in games. That's something other guys grab on to."
Biggest surprise
Don't look now, but coordinator Vic Fangio has not only held his injury-depleted defense together with chicken wire and bubble gum, he has molded it into a top-10 unit. The Bears currently rank ninth in yards allowed per game (338.9) and eighth in yards allowed per play (5.2).
Undoubtedly, their most complete performance came Monday when they recorded five sacks and limited the Vikings to 258 total yards. The Bears forced four three-and-outs on six first-half possessions and showed a promising unity across all three levels. Thirty-one of the Vikings' 61 plays went for 3 yards or fewer.
"We're flying around having fun now," Trevathan said. "This is what it's supposed to be. And it can get even better."
Fangio has a well-earned reputation for being able to squeeze maximum results out of the talent given to him. This fall, he and his staff have excelled while constantly in scramble mode.
For the season, the Bears have used 30 players on defense with more undrafted players (eight) figuring into that equation than players drafted in the top three rounds (seven). In the last three home games, the Bears have allowed only three touchdowns and 33 total points on 30 possessions.
A lack of takeaways is still a problem with the Bears fourth-to-last overall in that category with seven. They have had three complete games without one. That's the obvious next step to becoming a complete unit.
Biggest disappointment
The move to send Kyle Fuller to injured reserve in Week 4 proved surprising after the third-year cornerback seemingly came through preseason arthroscopic knee surgery OK.
Fuller underwent his operation — by all accounts, a fairly minor clean-up procedure — in mid-August and had returned to practice in a limited capacity for the season's first three weeks.
Ultimately, though, the Bears grew tired of waiting for the young cornerback to turn a corner. And his inability to get back into the fold speaks to a larger issue, with general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox no longer prioritizing Fuller in their plans.
Fuller was a first-round pick just 2 1/2 years ago and showed flashes of brilliance early in his rookie season. But his knee issues followed a shaky 2015 campaign in which he allowed more big plays than he made. With behind-the-scenes questions lingering about his fire and future potential, Fuller's lost 2016 season is a setback.
For a franchise haunted by so many failed first-round picks, another addition to that log would be bothersome.
The Bears finally have their top three pass rushers in action at the same time.
With first-round pick Leonard Floyd emerging as a force the last two games and Pernell McPhee making strides in his return from the physically-unable-to-perform list, it should be interesting to track just how much more pressure and disruption the Bears defense will be able to create.
Willie Young is the midseason team leader in sacks with six. Still, it's Floyd's development and McPhee's comeback that will be attention grabbing moving forward.
Both players need to prove their durability over the final eight games. And then they will have to make an impact on the defense with their respective game-changing strengths. For Floyd, it's his speed and burst off the edge. For McPhee, it's his power. The veteran outside linebacker also embraces his role as captain and has a naturally energizing presence that should help a budding defense heighten its swagger.
The combination of Floyd, McPhee and Young together should also allow Fangio to become a little more creative and unpredictable.
dwiederer@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @danwiederer
Dan Wiederer Contact Reporter
With improved health and continued growth, the Bears believe they will have a chance to exhibit marked progress in the season's second half. Last Monday's 20-10 throttling of the Vikings should provide a confidence boost.
Now it's about turning snippets of promise into sustained success. At the season's midpoint, the team has had plenty to dissect and discuss. Here's our midseason review of the defensive development.
Most Valuable Player
Jerrell Freeman's importance has been on display since the season's beginning when he had a team-best 17 tackles in the opener at Houston. A week later, he delivered his most emphatic hit, a crushing shot on Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood that forced an incompletion.
That's Freeman at his best, reacting quickly with his instincts and delivering a pop when he hits.
Through eight weeks, league stats credit Freeman with 72 tackles, fifth best overall. But it's not just the volume of tackles that illustrates his play. He also has displayed high energy while proving steadfast. And it shouldn't be overlooked that, because of injury and experimentation, Freeman has spent time on the field with five different partners at inside linebacker.
Freeman himself has been on the field for all but six of the defense's 554 snaps. And the hope moving forward is that his union with Danny Trevathan will only strengthen now that Trevathan is healthy and back in form.
"It all starts with the respect the guys have for them," linebackers coach Glenn Pires said of the pair. "They have accomplished a lot. And they set great examples in all phases — in the meeting room, on the practice field, in games. That's something other guys grab on to."
Biggest surprise
Don't look now, but coordinator Vic Fangio has not only held his injury-depleted defense together with chicken wire and bubble gum, he has molded it into a top-10 unit. The Bears currently rank ninth in yards allowed per game (338.9) and eighth in yards allowed per play (5.2).
Undoubtedly, their most complete performance came Monday when they recorded five sacks and limited the Vikings to 258 total yards. The Bears forced four three-and-outs on six first-half possessions and showed a promising unity across all three levels. Thirty-one of the Vikings' 61 plays went for 3 yards or fewer.
"We're flying around having fun now," Trevathan said. "This is what it's supposed to be. And it can get even better."
Fangio has a well-earned reputation for being able to squeeze maximum results out of the talent given to him. This fall, he and his staff have excelled while constantly in scramble mode.
For the season, the Bears have used 30 players on defense with more undrafted players (eight) figuring into that equation than players drafted in the top three rounds (seven). In the last three home games, the Bears have allowed only three touchdowns and 33 total points on 30 possessions.
A lack of takeaways is still a problem with the Bears fourth-to-last overall in that category with seven. They have had three complete games without one. That's the obvious next step to becoming a complete unit.
Biggest disappointment
The move to send Kyle Fuller to injured reserve in Week 4 proved surprising after the third-year cornerback seemingly came through preseason arthroscopic knee surgery OK.
Fuller underwent his operation — by all accounts, a fairly minor clean-up procedure — in mid-August and had returned to practice in a limited capacity for the season's first three weeks.
Ultimately, though, the Bears grew tired of waiting for the young cornerback to turn a corner. And his inability to get back into the fold speaks to a larger issue, with general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox no longer prioritizing Fuller in their plans.
Fuller was a first-round pick just 2 1/2 years ago and showed flashes of brilliance early in his rookie season. But his knee issues followed a shaky 2015 campaign in which he allowed more big plays than he made. With behind-the-scenes questions lingering about his fire and future potential, Fuller's lost 2016 season is a setback.
For a franchise haunted by so many failed first-round picks, another addition to that log would be bothersome.
The Bears finally have their top three pass rushers in action at the same time.
With first-round pick Leonard Floyd emerging as a force the last two games and Pernell McPhee making strides in his return from the physically-unable-to-perform list, it should be interesting to track just how much more pressure and disruption the Bears defense will be able to create.
Willie Young is the midseason team leader in sacks with six. Still, it's Floyd's development and McPhee's comeback that will be attention grabbing moving forward.
Both players need to prove their durability over the final eight games. And then they will have to make an impact on the defense with their respective game-changing strengths. For Floyd, it's his speed and burst off the edge. For McPhee, it's his power. The veteran outside linebacker also embraces his role as captain and has a naturally energizing presence that should help a budding defense heighten its swagger.
The combination of Floyd, McPhee and Young together should also allow Fangio to become a little more creative and unpredictable.
dwiederer@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @danwiederer
