Chicago Bears: This stat will shock you and prove the team is underrated

The 2021 Chicago Bears may be a team on the rise here, shortly. With rookie quarterback Justin Fields taking over permanently as the starter, who knows what this team’s ceiling could be.

The issue with that conversation, though, is that Fields is only a part of the equation. Sure, he’s a guy who will change it all. He changes everything once he takes over as the starter. The landscape of the Bears’ future is different now — and that’s worth mentioning.

Still, Fields only plays on one side of the ball, and that other side is playing pretty well right now.

The Bears have played strong defense, overall, through four weeks. They have their weaknesses, particularly against the pass. But, no one is talking about just how good they’ve been upfront.

The Chicago Bears currently lead the NFL in sacks with 15, why is no one raving about that feat?

Yes, you read that correctly. It’s not the Los Angeles Rams with Aaron Donald. It’s not even the Cleveland Browns with Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Not even the new-and-improved Carolina Panthers defense — nope.

These Bears lead the league in sacks, and it’s been because of two particular guys stepping up to the plate and making it happen.

Robert Quinn leads the team with 4.5 sacks so far, while Khalil Mack (4.0) trails just behind. Roquan Smith has tallied a pair of sacks as well, and another three Bears have at least one.

All of the hype around new defensive coordinator Sean Desai focusing on takeaways and getting to the quarterback wasn’t just smoke. That was an everyday item atop the agenda for Desai.

These Bears are playing far more aggressively upfront, and it’s showing. The injuries are behind Quinn, which is a pleasant sight to see after general manager Ryan Pace was roasted for signing him to such a lucrative deal last year, only to see the pass rusher total two sacks all season.

Not only has Quinn surprised most of us and already surpassed what he did all of last year, but he’s focused on getting more — which should put a smile on Bears fans everywhere. He and Mack have been a two-man wrecking crew thus far, and the Bears continue to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Sunday against Las Vegas, they’ll take on Derek Carr who was hit eight times last week against the Chargers, while being sacked four times. Los Angeles showed the recipe to get under Carr’s skin and disrupt his game plan, so hopefully, the Bears can do the same.

For now, let’s relish the fact that the Chicago Bears have taken over as a force when it comes to taking down the quarterback.