Dennis Allen Reveals Why Bears Defense Could Be Special

Much of the talk surrounding the Chicago Bears this offseason has been about the offense, and the expected improvements that will come thanks to Ben Johnson’s arrival, a rebuilt offensive line, and the additions of a handful of talented pass-catchers for Caleb Williams to work with. Because this is the case, it means Dennis Allen’s defense is flying under the radar, even when there’s a chance this unit could be one of his best.

A statement such this one coming in late-July ordinarily screams hyperbole, and admittedly, three months from now, it may look awfully silly if the Bears have the 20th ranked unit in the NFL. But based on what Dennis Allen is saying about his defense just a week into training camp, it’s worth considering whether this group could be one of the league’s best this season.

“I think the best defenses that I – or best teams that I’ve ever been on have been player driven, player led,” Allen said, per Mike Pendleton of Bears Wire. “I feel good about the type of guys that we have in our building. I think we have a lot of guys that love football, a lot of guys that are willing to work, a lot of guys are willing to sacrifice for each other and for the team. I think those are things that we’re going to need to count on throughout the course of the season.”

Purely from a construction standpoint, what Dennis Allen is saying about this unit checks out. Grady Jarrett and Kevin Byard serve as the elder statesmen of the group. Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards are all, theoretically, in the prime’s of their respective careers. Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon and Gervon Dexter are all on the come up. There’s a unique blend of veteran leadership and youthful upside that makes this a really intriguing group.

DJ Moore, Cole Kmet See Big Time Changes on Bears Defense

The Bears will have to wait another week and a half before taking the field in the preseason for the first time this year, but after only a few days of training camp, members of the Bears offense are already noticing changes and improvements from last season.

“(There’s) not one thing that looks the same on that defense,” DJ Moore noted, according to Kole Noble of A to Z Sports. “Everything is different every play. It’s good for us, but I’m glad we don’t have to go against it on Sundays. They’re always playing man, they’re always blitzing. But it’s just always a different way to get to it.”

“He brings a lot of stuff, especially on the first plays of camp and minicamp,” Cole Kmet added. “He definitely brings a lot of various pressures and different looks and coverages rotating here and there. But those guys, they definitely harp on playing hard man coverage and being physical with guys in the routes and I think that’s all really good to see and I’m excited to see those guys on defense thrive this year in that type of scheme.”

Bears Offense Needs To Follow Suit

Unfortunately, watching the Bears defense get off to a hotter start in training camp than the offense is nothing new in Chicago. It’s been the status quo for years, and Bears fans know all too well that even the defenses that have fit the bill and earned the moniker Monsters of the Midway aren’t always great enough to prop up a perennially disappointing offense.

But with Ben Johnson in the picture and Caleb Williams entering his second season, things should be better on that front. The weaponry around Caleb is more dynamic than last year, and three key offseason additions that should strengthen the interior of the offensive line will prevent the second-year quarterback from having to run for his life on an obscene number of snaps.

It will take some time for this unit to end up fully formed, and until then, it’s possible Dennis Allen’s D will make life hell for the offense in practices. But for now, that’s no reason to panic. If anything, it’s a good sign that the Monsters are once again roaming the field in the Windy City.