The Chicago Bears are not a complete team by any measure. They have flaws, some of which are deeply rooted. One of the most alarming is their run defense. Across four games, they've given up an average of 164.5 yards per game. That is dead last in the NFL. This isn't a new problem. Outside of 2023, the Bears have ranked 31st, 28th, and 32nd against the run since 2022. It is clear that there are some serious issues with the personnel makeup of that front seven for it to be this consistently bad. Head coach Ben Johnson is aware of it. He's not happy about it.
Also, he isn't stressing over it. That isn't because he doesn't care, mind you. It is more because he knows there isn't anything the Bears can do about it. Not right now. His comments after the win in Las Vegas were telling in that regard.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is limiting the opposing offense in the number of points scored. If that means that we’re giving up some rushing yards, but yet we’re keeping them low on the scoreboard, we’ll manage with that. No one likes seeing 6 yards, 7 yards per carry. That’s not what Chicago Bears football is about. That’s not what we want to be about. We’re working very diligently on getting better in that regard.”
Johnson seems resigned to reality. There is no magic fix for the Bears. The only way the run defense can improve is if the players they already have perform better. Getting linebacker T.J. Edwards back from injury will help, as will cornerback Kyler Gordon. It will have to be enough.
Ben Johnson knows the challenge ahead for the Bears.
Their next game is against Washington, the #1 rushing team in the NFL at 154 yards per game. They just put 155 on a pretty good Los Angeles Chargers defense. It is hard to imagine the Bears will be able to do any better than them. That puts serious pressure on defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to find solutions. Thankfully, this isn't uncharted territory for him. His first year with New Orleans in 2015, they were 31st against the run. Although it was never great, there were signs of improvement as the season progressed. Allen demonstrated his ability to find ways to slow down opponents.
He has already seen the defense play significantly better in critical situations, such as third down and the red zone. Washington presents the toughest test of the season. Ben Johnson trusts him to do what is necessary to prevent games from getting out of hand. Meanwhile, he will direct the offense to score more points. The partnership has worked well so far. Next offseason, there will be time to address these personnel issues.
