The New Orleans Saints came to town hoping to play spoiler for the Chicago Bears' recent fun. Though 1-5, the team had shown most of the year to be a pesky opponent. Sunday was no exception. They managed to frustrate Caleb Williams most of the afternoon, getting him to have his worst game of the year. However, that didn't help much against the Bears' ground attack, which racked up 222 yards. However, the true star of the show was Chicago's defense, which sacked Spencer Rattler four times and forced four turnovers. The mastermind behind all of it was Dennis Allen.
While he may not have said so, that game was personal for the Bears' defensive coordinator. He'd been the head coach of the Saints since 2022. He'd gone 9-8 in 2023. Unfortunately, injuries piled up last year, and the team plummeted to 5-12. Allen was fired after a 2-7 start. He may not have said so at the time, but it's fair to believe he felt he was unfairly treated. If you don't believe that, you must hear his post-game speech to the locker room after getting the game ball for the defense's outstanding performance.
He couldn't resist a subtle dig at his former team.
Dennis Allen is by far the Bears' best acquisition of 2025.
Plenty of other additions have looked great, like Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai. However, nobody has had such a massive impact in a short amount of time like Dennis Allen. This defense was one of the worst in the NFL when the season began, getting trampled for 52 points in week two. Since then, the Bears have 15 takeaways and are giving up 19 points per game. Much of that is thanks to Allen's adjustments to the lineup and schemes. Guys are completely bought in. You can tell from how they reacted to him getting that game ball. With Johnson elevating the offense rapidly, this team looks as well-balanced as it's been in a long time. There is still plenty of work to do, but the vibes are off the charts now.
