The Chicago Bears have always been a team defined by their defense. When they're playing at their peak, they always seem to win a lot of football games. This was true for most of the 1980s and again in the 2000s, and it was briefly true in the late 2010s as well. Much of this success was credited to some outstanding defensive coordinators like George Allen, Buddy Ryan, Ron Rivera, and Vic Fangio. Most people wouldn't have put Dennis Allen in that category when the Bears hired him as their new coordinator last month.
Apparently, they should've.
It seems Allen has a glowing reputation inside NFL circles. His expertise as a defensive coach is often overshadowed by his failures as a head coach in Oakland and New Orleans. Adam Gristick, a former linebacker at Eastern Illinois, joined the Saints coaching staff in 2023. It didn't take long for him to realize how incredible Allen was at crafting defensive football. He explained to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.
“You’re going to get a tough and physical defense. That’s how we play,” Gristick said. “Rather than just overloading the guys with scheme, he’s going to let those guys play fast. It’s a players’ defense, 100 percent. The players are going to love it. You guys should be really excited about what’s happening in Chicago right now.”
Sitting in the film room with Allen and helping him put together game plans, Gristick quickly realized something.
“He’s an absolute mastermind,” he said. “He’s a genius when it comes to defensive philosophy.”
Dennis Allen could be the key to everything for the Bears.
When Marc Trestman and Matt Nagy were hired as offensive coaches, the concern was the same in both cases. Could they find a capable defensive coordinator to make sure the other side of the ball was strong? Trestman opted for Mel Tucker, which was a massive failure. Nagy retained Fangio, resulting in a #1 overall defense that first year and a division title. Sadly, Fangio left for a head coaching job the next year. Chuck Pagano tried replacing him as best he could, but the defense was never quite the same.
Nobody disputes the likelihood that Ben Johnson should get the offense out of the mud and score points for the first time in years. The question was always whether he would fall into the same trap Trestman did. The hiring of Dennis Allen answers that question. In the six years he held the defensive coordinator role in New Orleans, he took the 32nd-ranked unit in the NFL all the way to 4th. Unlike all those years ago, he is stepping into a situation with plenty of talent to work with. This should be fun.
