New Bears DC wants an "attacking, aggressive style of defense" |
CHICAGO - Chicago Bears’ new head coach, Ben Johnson, started rebuilding the coaching staff right away with the addition of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Fitting with Johnson’s aggressive offensive style, Allen is planning to have an aggressive defense as well.
“We want to be an attacking, aggressive style of defense. I think we want to take the fight to the offense and not let the offense dictate the tempo to us,” Allen said. “We’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to challenge everything. We’re going to play the game the right way, tough, physical (and) the brand of football you come to expect at the Chicago Bears.” The Bears were not exactly the Monsters of the Midway last season, giving up at least 30 points in four games last season. They had one of the worst rushing defenses; they only registered 11 interceptions, including two players with multiple picks. While Allen does not question the defense needs improvement, he also sees talent in the players currently on the roster. “I took a look a little bit at the pieces on defense. I felt like there was some pieces in place, in particular I think there’s some things that we have to have in the secondary that I like. I think there’s some pieces at linebacker that I’m encouraged by. I think there’s a couple of spots up front that I feel like we’ve got some players,” Allen said. “So, I think the foundation’s there defensively and I think when Ben asked me if I would be interested in, there was a couple of places that I felt like had the pieces in place to potentially be a really good football team and Chicago was obviously one of them and so, I was excited when it came about that this was the job that he really wanted and this was the job that he was able to get and I was excited when he wanted me to come along with him.” Despite the lack of turnovers, Allen specifically saw talent in the secondary. Cornerback Kyler Gordon had a good season this year while fellow cornerback Jaylon Johnson was named to his second straight Pro Bowl, making him the only player on the Bears to make the 2025 Pro Bowl. At safety, Jaquan Brisker missed most of the season, but it appears he will be back next season to play alongside veteran Kevin Byard. “I like (that) we’ve got some size and length at the corner position. I like the fact that they have some man-coverage ability. I think we’ve got some versatility at the safety position. I see the fit. I think Kyler Gordon is an outstanding nickel player,” Allen said. “So, I have a vision for how we can utilize him and so, I think the foundation for what we want to do is there and then I’m just excited about finally getting these guys in here and us having an opportunity to work with them and seeing exactly what we have and then we’ve got to be creative on how we want to use them.” With free agency coming, now is a good time to evaluate where the defense needs to improve the most. Allen seems to agree with the assessment that Chicago needs to acquire some players for the defensive line. He believes this league is quarterback-driven, and developing a pass rush is critical to his attacking scheme. “This has become a quarterback-driven league. That’s what this league is and so, I think everything that we do is going to be based on how do we affect the quarterback and you affect the quarterback rush and coverage and that’s the pinnacle of what team defense is all about and so, we can be as great as we want to be covering everybody. But, if we can’t rush the passer, it’s not going to matter and vice versa. If we can get to the passer quickly, but we can’t disrupt routes and be competitive on the line of scrimmage, then we’re going to give up completions. So, I think those two things have to be able to work together,” Allen said. “We’re always looking for talent acquisition, player acquisition, guys that we feel like can come in and fit into our system, that can help us grow as a defensive line. But, what our job is as coaches, our job is to develop and so, we’re going to take the pieces that we have in place, we’re going to add the necessary ingredients that we need to create what we need to be able to do from a defensive standpoint. So, I’m excited about working with the guys that we have and I’m looking forward to working with (general manager) Ryan (Poles) and his staff to see if we can’t find some pieces to add to it.” Part of what makes Allen such a good hire for the Bears is the experience he brings. Allen has been coaching in the NFL since 2002 and has served as a defensive coordinator twice previously. Most recently, he was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. The 2021 and 2022 seasons were perhaps his best years as a defensive coordinator, as his defense was in the top five in total points allowed and rushing yards per attempt in both seasons.
