As Matt Eberflus settles into his position as defensive play caller with enhancing outcomes, it’s price questioning how issues have shifted — or if they’ve — since he took over for coordinator Alan Williams in Week 2.
Familiar points stay for the Chicago Bears (2-5), who enter Sunday’s sport towards the Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) at SoFi Stadium having received two of their final three video games. They wrestle to get after the opposing quarterback, which could possibly be problematic towards Justin Herbert.
Eight of their 10 sacks (which ranks thirty first forward of solely the Houston Texans’ 9) have come within the final three video games. Five had been towards the Washington Commanders’ Sam Howell, who has been sacked a league-high 40 occasions. Howell just isn’t on tempo to set an NFL document for sacks in a season (76, David Carr, 2002 Texans), he’s on observe to smash it. At the present price, he might be sacked 97 occasions as a result of he lacks an inside clock as soon as the ball is snapped.
Four of the Bears’ six interceptions have come within the final three video games. All however one of many six (towards Howell) got here towards a backup quarterback — take them when you will get them.
The Bears have allowed solely 44 factors within the final three video games and 4 touchdowns they usually’ve additionally restricted opponents to 29.4% on third down in that span, which ranks third within the league. They have allowed 40 explosive performs (passes for 15 yards or extra and runs of 10-plus yards), the thirteenth most within the league. In the final three weeks, there have been solely 9, which ranks No. 2.
It’s an enormous turnaround. Since the beginning of final season, the Bears’ defensive points have been a bit neglected at occasions with a hyperfocus on the group’s ongoing quarterback points.
What has shifted beneath Eberflus, one in every of six head coaches to name defenses for his staff?
“Flus does a good job of hearing what his players want and trying to include that with the game plan,” defensive deal with Justin Jones stated. “That is the only thing I would say is different.”
The blitz price has ticked up a little bit of late. The Bears have pressured with 5 or extra rushers 22.6% of the time since Week 2, which ranks twentieth. That price is 28.1% during the last three weeks, center of the pack leaguewide at fifteenth. It has led to solely modest outcomes. The Bears’ strain price in six video games with Eberflus calling performs is 22.6% (thirtieth) and it’s 23.7% (twenty sixth) within the final three video games.
So it’s not as if turning linebackers and member of the secondary unfastened has made a dramatic distinction. But Eberflus has been pushing the proper buttons, and the numbers trace at issues trending in the proper route even when you think about the diploma of problem dealing with Howell and the Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders backups Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell, together with gifted Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins minus his finest receiver, Justin Jefferson.
“Flus is starting to get to know the guys he has and we’re starting to get to know him,” stated defensive finish DeMarcus Walker, alluding to the most important personnel adjustments the staff had within the entrance seven to start the season. “It’s really cohesive. That’s been a big element, he and us getting comfortable with his play calling and we’re talking through all the week and even on game day on the sideline. It’s pretty consistent.”
Coverages on the again finish stay the identical. The Bears are enjoying extra Cover-2 than the rest, however simply greater than Cover-3 and one man, in order that they’re mixing it up and, after all, the sport plan goes to shift a bit relying on the opponent.
“For me, just seeing him all those years in Indy, it kind of feels the same,” linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi stated. “It’s both the execution and the call. He’s got a great feel for in-game calling. It’s made a real difference.”
One minor shift is the Bears have moved to utilizing dime personnel — six defensive backs — since Eberflus took over. They’ve used extra man protection and pressed a bit extra. That’s most likely a small a part of the success on third down, which was a catastrophe final yr and thru the primary month of this season.
“Overall, it’s just the guys that are coming together,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson stated. “I don’t think that he’s really changed too much. The plan, the mission has been the same. I know we made some adjustments on third down but I feel like other than that, just the attitude of the guys, the execution that we’re playing at is a lot different these last few games.”
Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards are becoming in properly and enjoying off the linemen, a giant purpose why the protection ranks fifth in run protection permitting 82.3 yards per sport, almost half from a yr in the past at 157.3. Is a lot because the Bears had been hammered for not stopping the run in 2022, it is a vital enchancment, and nostril deal with Andrew Billings has been a constructive addition.
Injuries all through the secondary — and the shortage of a cross rush — are major causes the protection is permitting 257.1 passing yards per sport, twenty ninth within the league. There’s room for enchancment, and the Bears are inspired by the event of rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson figuring out he’s going to have ups and downs enjoying on an island.
Rookie tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens haven’t supplied so much for the cross rush and that’s an space to keep watch over within the second half of the season. Can they start to make extra performs as they achieve expertise?
The Chargers with Herbert, broad receiver Keenan Allen and working again Austin Ekeler current a superb problem to see if a younger protection can proceed to carry out at a constant stage, which might be a constructive signal particularly with how the schedule for the rest of the season units up.
“I would just say it’s really teamwork,” Eberflus stated. “Really is. Working together, having that continuity. I believe getting the secondary pieces back really helps us in terms of coverage variation, matchups, being able to process through that as coaches and players. We’re just working through that.”
Scouting report
Quentin Johnston, Chargers broad receiver
Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
Quentin Johnston, 6-foot-4, 215 kilos, is in his first season after the Chargers chosen him with the No. 21 select of TCU. Johnston caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards, 17.8 common) and 6 touchdowns final season and two years after setting a Big 12 Conference document by averaging 22.1 yards per catch.
The rookie is off to a gradual begin as he has solely seven receptions on 15 targets for 64 yards. He has solely two catches for 38 yards during the last three video games because the Chargers search a substitute for Mike Williams, who’s out for the season after struggling a torn ACL in his left knee.
“They drafted him because (offensive coordinator) Kellen Moore came in and the biggest thing I saw, they had this quarterback with rare physical tools who they made into a West Coast thrower,” the scout stated. “Unders, ball out fast, utilizing some boot, some play motion, attacking the center of the sphere. They weren’t explosive sufficient as a result of you’ve Keenan Allen. He’s like the following Larry Fitzgerald. He can get open, make performs for you, transfer the sticks. Elite protection consciousness however not an explosive participant. Mike Williams, opposite to everybody’s opinion, is a boundary X who just isn’t an explosive participant. He’s a fade-ball man. They wanted somebody who can catch the ball on a fade route and go to the home, somebody who can run a deep in route and run away from protection. They wanted somebody who can catch a large receiver display screen and run via folks.
“That’s why they drafted Johnson. He has the physical profile to be that player, but if you go back to his college tape, lot of drops, very raw as a route runner and played in the Big 12, where he saw a lot of basic coverages and presnap you know exactly what you are getting. I think he has struggled in the NFL because he lacks coverage awareness. He’s finding out he can’t just win with physical tools. And there is an issue right now, even when they scheme for him, they can’t get him to produce. They’ve gone from being that explosive offense they want to be to being what they were last year. Don’t want to kill the kid seven games in or compare him to Jordan Addison and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but the production is not there. Great example of, ‘We’ll draft the traits and figure it out later.’ They haven’t figured it out yet.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com