That performance in the 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 was not a good one at all for the Chicago Bears' defense.
The 49ers had a field day with the Bears' defense with 496 yards and converting seven of 10 third downs in the game. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen addressed the poor performance of his defense and what they need to do to get past it.
"I’ll say this – I don’t think I coached well enough last week, I don’t think we played well enough last week," Allen said via 670 The Score's Chris Emma. "So, you learn your lessons, you make the corrections that you need to make. Now we move forward, and we’re getting ready for Detroit."
Bears need to move on while getting things fixed before the playoffs
The one good thing about this Bears defense this season has been their ability to create turnovers at a higher rate than any other team in the NFL. They are leading the league with 32 turnovers, two more than the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are in second with 30.
Chicago's turnover highs have helped in covering up the fact that the defense is not as strong as it has been in past years. The Bears are ranked 28th in the NFL in total defense with 357.3 yards allowed per game, 21st in pass defense with 222 yards per game, and 28th in rush defense with 135.3 yards per game.
There have been noticeable gaps in this defense all year. The lack of a pass rush is a problem, as they are 22nd in the NFL in sacks (32), and their secondary struggles to cover slot receivers.
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These are issues Allen has to address over the next week before the playoffs kick off, as Chicago has a shot at making an improbable run in the postseason.