The Matt Eberflus era with the Chicago Bears saw some flashes of greatness, but ultimately came crumbling down due to some insurmountable lows. When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, Dennis Allen will be charged with helping the Bears get on track.
Chicago ended their 2024 season ranked 27th in total defense, allowing 354.3 yards per game. While the Bears have added strong talent such as Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett, it’ll be up to Allen to ensure all the pieces fit.
Ultimately, the Bears and their fans are hoping to see the defense come back to life under Allen. He’s preparing to bring an entirely different defensive approach to Chicago, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
“It’s fair to say Eberflus is a defensive coach who favors more standard fronts and foundational coverage principles,” Biggs wrote. “He uses late movement to disguise coverages with safeties, but overall, it’s about playing within the scheme and using proper technique.”
“Allen, the new Bears defensive coordinator, brings a little more complexity in terms of multiple fronts and different coverages with safeties,” Biggs continued. “He probably has a greater variety of pressure packages and favors more stunting up front in order to create open rush lanes.”
“Allen wants to play more man coverage in the secondary than Eberflus, who was sort of typecast as a Cover Two guy but mixed it up quite a bit. The Bears can play man with Jaylon Johnson, and if Tyrique Stevenson is dialed in, he can do that as well,” Biggs concluded. “They probably need a safety with better coverage traits to be really good in man, but nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon can certainly match receivers underneath. What you might see is a lot more two-man coverage, which allows defensive backs to be aggressive underneath with safety help over the top.”
Matt Eberflus’ defensive rise and fall
Eberflus was hired by the Bears when he was the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator. Prior to that, he served in a number of defensive roles at the both the college and NFL level. And after he got fired, Eberflus landed on his feet as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator.
His first year in Chicago was 2022. That season, the Bears ranked 29th in total defense, allowing 375.9 yards per game. But Eberflus was still building out his defense and figuring out what works in the Windy City. His plan was a success, as the Bears rose to 12th in overall defense, allowing 324.2 yards per game.
However, it all came crumbling down in 2024, as Chicago slumped back to 27th in the league, allowing 354.3 yards per game. Eberflus broke a longstanding Bears tradition, being fired in the middle of the season. He’ll look to rebound his image with the Cowboys, as the Bears regroup.
What Dennis Allen offers Chicago Bears
Allen was most recently head coach of the New Orleans Saints. And since he was fired from that job, some may be concerned about him coming to Chicago. However, Allen is still a well-respected defensive mind in the NFL.
He has served as the defensive coordinator of the Saints and Denver Broncos, while also spending time as head coach of the then Oakland Raiders. Allen has been in coaching since 1996 and made the jump to the NFL in 2002.
Allen was with the Saints at the same time Eberflus was with the Bears. They had a lot in common in 2024, as New Orleans bottomed by allowing 379.9 yards per game, ranking 30th in the league. But that was more of a symptom of the Saints as a franchise realizing they needed a fresh start.
In 2022, New Orleans ranked fifth in total defense, allowing 314.8 YPG. Eberflus did beat out Allen in 2023, as the Saints ranked 13th by allowing 327.2 YPG. However, it is clear that Allen understands how to concoct a winning defense.
And that’s exactly what he will be tasked to do in Chicago. While all eyes will be on Johnson and the offense, the Bears know their defense must take a step forward as well. Allen will be measured on Chicago’s overall growth and if he can dig the Bears out of their Eberflus-sized defensive hole.
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