The Chicago Bears defensive stars are adapting to life with Dennis Allen as their coordinator.
Though some have found Allen’s scheme complex, many are excited to see what the longtime defensive coordinator will bring to Chicago.
Allen, just 26-53 as a head coach in six NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, is back as a defensive coordinator where he has found much more success. He was the Saints DC from 2015-21, where they had an exceptional run of success by making the playoffs each year from 2017-20.
Allen will take over Matt Eberflus, since the now-former Bears head coach called defensive signals until he was fired in November.
What Are The Bears Star Defensive Players Saying About Dennis Allen’s Defense?
It sounds weird to think a complex defensive scheme is exciting, but Bears players are raving about his four-down-lineman, two-high-safety based defense.
“It’s just more than I had to learn in the past, I would say,” Montez Sweat told ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin. “So, he’s definitely a little more complex than the DCs I had in the past.”
Safety Jaquan Brisker especially was excited to show what he could do.
“Show I’m a Swiss Army knife,” Brisker said, “how he moves pieces around, and how we run so many different things, and we can all make it look the same or vice versa. Things like that. That’s what I love about it. DA is smart.
“I know he’s going to put us in the right positions.”
Brisker may be excited to show his versatility, but the Bears cornerbacks are ready to play on an island against opposing receivers.
“You lock up the No. 1 guy,” Bears cornerback Jaylen Johnson told ESPN. “No. 1 on No. 1. For me, that’s what I am looking forward to doing.”
Opposite cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had a different analogy to explain the same thing.
“Honestly, how I look at it, he allows us to make our money,” Stevenson told ESPN. “You’re a corner, you’re a cover corner and you’ve got to cover the guys in this league. His defense allows you to go out there and build your confidence up week after week, playing man after man on any receiver. Building that confidence up allows you to go make the plays or take certain risks that you wouldn’t take if you were never put in that position before.”
What Did Bears Players Say About Stopping the Run?
The Bears ranked 28th in the NFL in run defense in 2024, which simply won’t cut it in the black-and-blue NFC North division — against the run-heavy Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
“It starts up front. It starts with those guys, first and foremost, stopping the run — something we really weren’t good at last year,” safety Kevin Byard told ESPN. “If we stop the run, then everything opens up for the defense. Those guys can pin their ears back, get after the quarterback and everything.”
The Saints were dominant against the run when Allen was the defensive coordinator. According to ESPN, they ranked first against the run from 2016-21.
If Allen can have that impact on the Bears defense, they have a chance to surprise in the NFC.
“We understand that we’ve got to stop the run [in order] to rush the passer,” Sweat said. “Everybody likes to rush the passer, but you’ve got to stop the run first, so that’s definitely a big emphasis in this defense, and that’s what we plan on doing.”
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