A Big Myth About Dennis Allen Was Just Busted

Dennis Allen was not the first name that came to mind when the topic of the next Chicago Bears defensive coordinator was raised. However, people realized it might be a savvy move once it came up. While his tenures as a head coach in the NFL were mostly disappointing, he had a far better track record as a defensive coordinator. His work in the second half of 2011 was crucial to the Denver Broncos' making the playoffs. Then in New Orleans, he transformed one of the NFL's worst-ever units into one of the best.

What stood out was his exotic, creative style, characterized by aggressiveness and nasty ways to confuse quarterbacks. Most people thought this meant he was another in the ilk of blitz-happy coaches like Brian Flores or Greg Williams. While this has been true in the past, there is a misconception that it's Allen's true identity. Adam Jahns of CHGO spoke to veteran safety Kevin Byard about it. The former All-Pro clarified what Allen is really all about, which makes far more sense.

“I think just as a defense it’s not really more about what he’s going to call,” Byard said. “It’s about how we execute, how we play those calls.”

That’s one of Allen’s messages. He said the same thing earlier in camp. It’s a positive sign that his players are repeating him.

“As a defense you want to be basically how Dennis Allen is: aggressive, physical,” Byard said. “No matter if he’s calling zone or if he’s calling blitz, we’re going to make sure that we’re as (defensive backs) up in receivers’ faces, disrupting the timing of the passing game.”

Dennis Allen hasn't been defined by elite defensive fronts.

Sure, having them is important to success. Yet the truth is his defense has often been at its best when the secondary is loaded. In Denver, he had Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins, two future Hall of Famers. Later, in New Orleans, he had Marshon Lattimore, Malcom Jenkins, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Marcus Williams. Tyrann Mathieu joined the group as well. His defense is a nightmare when you have quality bodies on the back end. The good news is the Bears seem well-equipped for that. Jaylon Johnson is a star. Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon are both promising young players. Kevin Byard is a perfect, savvy veteran. Even Tyrique Stevenson is capable of streaks of good play. Dennis Allen has enough pieces to make things interesting this year.