The Chicago Bears had an active offseason, starting with the hiring of head coach Ben Johnson and moving to a natural reshuffling of parts of the roster. But there will of course be a lot of players who remain in place from last season and will be key factors this year.
Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network recently solicited questions for a mailbag piece. He got one wondering how Andrew Billings has looked in training camp, and lauding the veteran defensive tackle as a key piece of the Bears' defense.
"You’re 100% right...The Bears were way better before Andrew Billings suffered a torn pectoral muscle that required season-ending surgery, especially defending the run."
"Head coach Ben Johnson even made note of that in his introductory press conference, calling the 6-foot-2, 340-pound monster out by name. There’s no doubt that he makes the Bears better. While he may not be a true first-team player with Gervon Dexter beefing up to take more of a nose tackle role playing next to three-technique Grady Jarrett, Billings will be key to what the Bears do defensively."
"He has been solid to this point in camp, especially now that the pads have come on. One play really stands out, and it occurred on Tuesday during a live tackling period. He tossed his blocker aside and enveloped running back D’Andre Swift, tossing him to the ground with ease."
"Billings may not be a headline player, but he’s a one-of-one individual that will plug gaps and push the interior pocket. He made strides as a pass rusher last year, and could be helpful on early downs and short-yardage situations. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will find ways to rotate him in during the right situations, while keeping him fresh with the proper workload. In sum, Billings is an impact player who has made an impact this camp."
As Bair noted, Billings missed the final nine games last season after suffering a torn pectoral. Pro Football Focus graded him out as a top-50 defensive tackle (No. 43), including a top-12 pass rush grade (78.6) and a top-20 pass rush win rate (12.5 percent) at the position.
In five of the last six seasons he has played (he opted out of the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic), each season he has had enough snaps to qualify, Billings has been a top-50 graded defensive tackle by PFF (once in the top-20).
Andrew Billings can still be a difference maker in the Bears' defense
In 2023, Billings' first season in Chicago, the Bears had the league's best run defense (86.4 yards per game). Last year, of course, it was markedly worse, as they came in 28th (136.3 yards per game) and allowed a full yard more per carry.
A 10-game losing streak, which included five losses by at least two scores, will certainly skew opponents' game plans toward the run. That volume also increased by 3.5 attempts per game in the games Billings missed compared to the games he played, while other run defense numbers were generally poor, regardless of whether he was playing or not.
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The notoriety around Chicago's interior defensive line right now is rooted in a new guy (Grady Jarrett) and a promising young player (Gervon Dexter). But defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will absolutely have use for Billings in a rotational role, and the big man's contribution to the success of the Bears' defense this year should not go overlooked.