Matt Eberflus could blitz more to support the Chicago Bears' nonexistent pass rush, but that would expose a secondary full of injuries. There's a catch to seemingly everything for this defense.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield escapes from Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue on Sept. 17, 2023, in Tampa, Fla.
A small sample size of statistics is bothersome and potentially a sign of more bad things to come. The Bears have one sack, last in a league in which 20 teams have seven or more. They have only nine QB hits and their pressure rate is 19.6%.If there’s upside in this matchup, the Broncos pass defense has been similarly atrocious. Before gettinglast week, they allowed Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell to complete 27 of 39 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns in his third career start.
“Four equals one,” Ngakoue said. “We say that in our room — four D-linemen equals one. We just have to play off each other, feed off each other. Great defenses, they thrive off the defensive line.” There is a cry for Eberflus — someone, anyone — to blitz more in order to generate different results. It seems like a natural reflex, but before you continue to holler for this, there are some layers to consider.
The flip side to sending extra pass rushers is it puts inexperienced defensive backs in jeopardy of giving up big plays. The Bears spent a good chunk of the Week 2 loss at Tampa Bay with a safety tandem of Elijah Hicks, a seventh-round pick in 2022, and Quindell Johnson, an undrafted rookie claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams. Like nearly everything with this team, there’s a catch to shifting philosophy and pressuring more.
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