The Chicago Bears are starting to see a lot more from Gervon Dexter in the last four weeks. Dexter has 11 pressures in the last four weeks after just nine pressures in the first nine games. More than that, his pass rush win rate is up from 10.6% to 16.7%.
Gervon Dexter has not improved as a run defender for the Chicago Bears
Dexter was always looked at as a pass-rushing option, so it is good to see him progressing in this area. Still, while that is a big step forward, if the Chicago Bears want to see Dexter improve into an all-around player who can start, he has to get better at run defense.
Only 25% of his snaps have come on run-downs since week three. They have made a clear effort to keep him out of this area. While teams do pass-heavy, someone like Justin Jones plays 34% of his snaps against the run. In the past four weeks, Jones has 49 run defense snaps, and Dexter has 26. If Dexter wants to play more, he has to earn those snaps.
The issue is that he has not done that. Dexter had a 52.6-run defense grade with a 4.2% stop rate in the first nine weeks. In the last four weeks, his run defense grade has dropped to 45.4, and his run stop rate is zero. He has more missed tackles in the last four weeks than the first nine combined.
So, Chicago Bears fans are going to see Dexter with a sack and with more pressure, and they think it is only a matter of time until he starts for the final four games. However, the coaching staff sees that he is not progressing against the run, and right now, they view him as a situational pass rusher.
Can we see more from Dexter in the run game now that he has laid a foundation in the passing game?