After Dominique Robinson had a breakout performance in his career debut, we wrote that the Chicago Bears need to find a way to get him on the field more often. One way in which they got creative in getting him on the field was lining him up on the inside, next to Robert Quinn.
Robinson beat the 49ers guard clean and got pressure on Trey Lance. So, after a triumphant look in week two, the Chicago Bears returned to it in week two. Below you can see how the team lines up when Robert Quinn got his sack.
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The team has Quinn and Trevis Gipson on the edges, and Robinson is joined by Armon Watts on the inside. Overall, these is essentially the four best rushers on the roster. While they often rotate, the Bears have a specific formation where they use all four together, what most teams in NFL call a ‘NASCAR’ package.
That is because it is much faster than your normal group, and they fly after the football. Overall, the usage of NASCAR was ideal.
The first time they deployed this look they got a sack from Trevis Gipson, and the second time they got a sack from Robert Quinn. The issue is that they only ran the package for three snaps, four if you include a penalty that took a playback.
Still, on the three snaps, they forced one incompletion and converted on two sacks. Needless to say, this alignment was dominant.
The question is how much more can they get this group out there? The one issue with this alignment is that while it is high-level pass rushing, it is probably the worst run-defender on the roster as well.
This is not a group that you can bring out on first down and hope to stuff the middle. However, on third down when the pass is obviously coming, there is not a better alignment. The hope is that the team can get to third down with obvious pass situations more often. If they can, it could bring out the best part of their defense.