Bears vs. Packers: Five Takeaways From Week 1 Match-up

Sep 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) passes the ball during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Pass Rush was Basically Non-Existent

The Bears’ new 3-4 defense actually had a nice start to the season. In the first half, they held Rodgers and company to only 10 points, as they headed to the locker room with a 13-10 lead. The Packers were able to exploit them in the second half however, scoring 21 points to lead them to victory.

As we talked about before, the secondary was awful. However, they are not the only ones to blame, as the pass rush gave them no help throughout the contest. The Bears not only finished the game without a sack, they were never even close, as them being shut-out from quarterback hits proves. Rodgers had a clean pocket all afternoon. Whenever he needed to make a play, he did so with no pressure in his face.

The Bears entered the season with a roster deep with pass rushing options at outside linebacker. Some did not make the final roster (namely David Bass, whose natural pass rush ability would have come in handy against the Packers), but it still appeared to be among the deepest positions on the roster.

Starters Pernell McPhee and Jared Allen were pretty much non-existent on the pass rush. McPhee will likely get going eventually, but the worries on whether Allen can translate to his new position are real. He did not look comfortable on Sunday.

Willie Young was the primary back-up on Sunday, and he did not do anything to impress either. Young is a traditional 4-3 defensive end who had 10 sacks with the Bears last season. He never seemed to be a strong fit for the 3-4 defense, and I do not think he is going to be somebody they can count on this season. Lamarr Houston did not see much of the field against the Packers, perhaps he could give them a boost in the pass rush?

If the Bears’ defense is going to see any kind of success this season, they are going to need a much better performance out of their 3-4 pass rushing outside linebackers.

Next: Passing Game Performance