The mentality of the Chicago Bears' defense and their defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, is exactly what fans wanted to see entering training camp.
While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Allen is focused on making the players better in his unit while also putting the best defense on the field. He admitted to being competitive, but improvement in practice is more important for him.
“I don’t know that I necessarily quite looking at it like that, like we’re competing against each other,” Allen said via Marquee Sports Network. “Here’s what my job is. My job is to put the best fricking defense on the field. I’m not really focused a lot on what we’re seeing offensively or how they’re doing things offensively. Obviously, the National Football League is a highly, highly competitive league. Every day that we go out there, we’re always competing. I look at it as, I’m trying to coach these guys to be the best versions of themselves that they can be, so we can therefore put the best product out on the field.”
Bears' defense continues to show improvement throughout training camp
This was a defensive unit last year that ranked 27th in total defense, allowing 354.3 yards per game. The biggest weakness of the unit was its inability to stop the run in 2024, as they allowed 136.3 yards per game, ranking 28th.
Allen admitted that the CB2 job is still up for grabs at training camp, with Tyrique Stevenson currently the starter, but Nahshon Wright had an impressive performance at outside corner. Terell Smith has also had some pleasant moments at camp that will make the decision tougher on who will start opposite side Jaylon Johnson when he returns.
There have been talks about the linebackers doing well, including Allen singling out Tremaine Edmunds as a player to watch. Edmunds and T.J. Edwards are working through their disappointing performance last year, but are looking to elevate that in 2025.
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The mindset appears to be different for the Bears' defense, as they have made quarterback Caleb Williams miserable at training camp, creating sacks, tight coverage, and turnovers. This unit is looking better than it did in 2024 and could be the driving force behind getting this Chicago team back into the postseason for the first time in four years.