Are Chicago Bears making defensive changes?
Nobody would say that the Chicago Bears defense has been the issue for the 2021 season, but there have been ebbs and flows in the first season with Sean Desai as defensive coordinator. We have seen Desai start to put his imprint on this defense, and it is clear that he runs a different scheme than Chuck Pagano and Vic Fangio.
As Desai has started to figure out his voice and his role in the defense, he has begun to make tweaks as well. There were a few notes this week that may be representative of changes coming.
Will Xavier Crawford keep playing over Duke Shelley?
This has been a revolving door all season, and part of this is that Desai cannot find anyone he can trust. They started with Marqui Christian, but he got torched in week one. They moved to Duke Shelley, who has been up and down. Then, on Sunday, they went to Xavier Crawford.
Crawford was not a stand-out star but also was not abused. Per PFF, he allowed 22 yards in coverage. Shelley has not done much to keep his job, and Crawford may be better in coverage. Will this stay?
Is DeAndre Houston-Carson moving up the depth chart?
DeAndre Houston-Carson has seen his role grow in recent weeks. Sunday was his biggest share yet with 34 snaps. DHC has ascended over Deon Bush as the dime player, but it was more than that on Sunday. He came in for dime but also was taking the job of Tashaun Gipson on snaps.
DHC played 19 snaps in dime, but 15 as the starting safety. He moved over Bush already, is Gipson next? Gipson did miss three tackles, so that could be a sign that Desai was penalizing the veteran.
Still, Desai has worked with DHC for years, so he knows exactly what he has. Maybe he trusts him more than the past coordinators.
Will Danny Trevathan get his job back?
Danny Trevathan has played the past two games but has registered ten and nine snaps, respectively. It is worth wondering if he will continue to cut into the time of Alec Ogletree, who not only swapped out for Trevathan on those nine snaps but moved out so DHC could play dime as well.
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On the one hand, it is nice to rotate so often, but on the other, you would think at some point there will be a switch between Ogletree and Trevathan. At least considering the contracts of each, the front office would seem inclined to play Trevathan more.