5 things Chicago Bears can learn from Patriots Super Bowl win

3. Secondary is as important as a pass rush

A surprising aspect that stood out for the Patriots this season was that they entered the playoffs 30th in pressure rate. While they were able to drum up some pressure with mixed blitzes in the playoffs, what made their defense so impressive was their back end communication.

They shifted five players around in the back end and shifted coverages throughout the game. Without great players up front Stephon Gilmore, Jason and Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Patrick Chung and J.C. Jackson made plays in the back end. Even when Chung went down with an injury, the team did not miss a beat.

Should the Chicago Bears think about this as they deal with Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos? The familiarity and ability to change coverages at the last second and trust that everyone knows where to go is not something that will show up on the stat sheet but will show up in the playoffs.