With all the injuries the Chicago Bears' secondary has had early in the season, many fans would have thought that would be the weak point of the defense.
Turns out the group has actually done a pretty good job. They are currently ranked 19th in the NFL in pass defense, allowing an average of 215 yards per game. Not great, but it isn't as bad as some might have thought.
Chicago has been without Kyler Gordon in each of the first four games, and Jaylon Johnson only played one half against the Detroit Lions. The emergence of Tyrique Stevenson has been discussed over the last two weeks due to his impressive play. Safeties Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker deserve a ton of credit for holding it together.
That's actually one unit Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can wear as a badge of honor. Allen's group against the run, though, is a whole different story.
Bears face seismic problem with rush defense entering the bye week
From the lack of a pass rush to the struggles with slowing down the running game, the Bears' front seven has been exposed a bit. Fans could see it clearly in the team's incredible 25-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday when they allowed a whopping 240 yards rushing, averaging an ugly 7.7 yards per carry.
How does that look for the Bears' overall season outlook? They are currently the worst rush defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 164.5 yards per game. The Bears have allowed at least 120 rushing yards in each of their first four games.
Big problem in the Windy City.
This was one aspect of Bears head coach Ben Johnson's press conference via Zoom on Monday that was addressed. Johnson discussed what the unit has to do to improve this as soon as possible.
"We have to get back to the fundamentals. We're not shedding blocks to the degree we'd like to yet and we're not making open-field tackles like we'd like to."
At least the saving grace for this defense is that they have forced four turnovers in each of their last two games. Winning the turnover battle has resulted in the team winning games.
A contributing factor to these rush defense issues may be the absence of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, defensive end Austin Booker, and linebacker T.J. Edwards, all of whom are missing time due to injuries. It appears that all three should be on target for coming back after the bye week.
Read more: Ben Johnson shares 1 regrettable moment he wishes he could take back vs. Raiders
Allen has over a week to get the rush defense address before they take on a tough Washington Commanders team in Week 6 on Monday night. That will be the true test to see where they stand the rest of the 2025 campaign.