When the Chicago Bears took on the Houston Texans we noted that this would be a good test for Alan Williams. That is not because the Texans are a juggernaut offense, but rather that we would see the ability to adjust from the first-time defensive coordinator.
The Bears were known for their lack of blitzing through the first two games. This was no surprise because the Colts were a team that rarely blitzed with Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams.
Still, sometimes the situation calls for it, and that was what happened on Sunday. Davis Mills has proven to be awful against the blitz.
Chicago Bears smartly blitzed Davis Mills
When teams give him enough time to sit back and read the defense, he has been fine, but once he has to account for an extra man, his mind starts to race, and the play ends up not working out.
The Chicago Bears saw this and used it against Davis Mills.
Entering the game the Chicago Bears had the lowest blitz rate in the NFL, below 2%, but they blitzed the Texans 30% of the time. Mills was 5-10 when blitzed, and 15-22 when he was not. This was an obvious huge increase from the Bears’ usual rate, and it increase their blitz rate from under 2% to over 7% on the season.
That is still a low number, and they only jumped to 31st overall in blitz rate. The reality is that this not a change we will expect to see week over week. At their core, the Bears are a team that rushes four and drops back into coverage.
However, they knew that they had to blitz Davis Mills to beat him because that makes him panic and play worse. They did a great job of not worrying about what they do best, but rather adjusting to taking away what their opponent does best. This may have helped seal the win.