Dennis Allen had high praise a rising star on the Bears' defense and has the coaching experience to help him fully unlock a key aspect of his game
The Chicago Bears' defense got a major boost last week when the team hired defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to Ben Johnson's coaching staff.The former New Orleans Saints' head coach and defensive coordinator is a defensive-mastermind who always had high ranking units under his guidance.With the Bears, Allen promised the unit will be "aggressive" and a […]
The Chicago Bears' defense got a major boost last week when the team hired defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to Ben Johnson's coaching staff.
The former New Orleans Saints' head coach and defensive coordinator is a defensive-mastermind who always had high ranking units under his guidance.
With the Bears, Allen promised the unit will be "aggressive" and a big part of that will come from attacking the quarterback.
"We can be as great as we can be covering everybody, but it's not going to matter if we can't get to the quarterback," Allen said on Thursday while speaking with reporters.
A big part of that comes from the pass rush led by the defensive line, which should be music to the ears of the team's stop pass rushers like Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter. But, creating pressure doesn't just come from the defensive front.
During his time with the Saints, Allen was never afraid to deploy his defensive backs as heat-seeking missiles to help get after opposing quarterbacks. And he has the perfect player to fill that role on his new team in slot cornerback Kyler Gordon.
"Kyler Gordon is an outstanding nickel player," Allen said. "I have a vision for how we can utilize him."
The Bears' young defensive back is a budding star in this league and just needed the right push to finally break out, and Allen is the perfect coach to get him to the next step at the perfect time of his career.
Gordon is entering into the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible for an extension this offseason, if the Bears want to invest in him early. Gordon, himself, noted he's not too worried about ironing out a new deal and only wants to focus on improving his craft going into 2025.
The Bears would be smart to extend him early, and even if they don't, Gordon will prove to be worth it following his first season under Allen's guidance. Gordon took a major jump in 2024 in terms of his coverage in the passing game but his work as a pass rusher should also be enticing for the team's new coordinator.
During the 2024 season, Gordon was tied for the 4th-most pressures among cornerbacks, along with Allen's former slot cornerback, Alontae Taylor. The difference between the two is that Taylor was credited with 5.0 sacks while Gordon had just 1.0.
"[In 2023], we didn't have too many pressure calls where I got home," Taylor said back in September. "To see (coach Dennis Allen) call it, he felt the energy we had as a defense, and he felt confident that I was going to get home and everyone else was going to do their job. Now, I want the pressure every time come third down."
Those comments came after Week 1 of the 2024 season when Taylor broke the Saints' franchise record by a cornerback recording 3.0 sacks in the win. After Taylor performance, Allen added how valuable it is to send a fast defender on a pressure.
Even back in 2021, Allen's slot cornerback C.J. Gardner Johnson ranked second in the league among cornerbacks with 10 total pressures, and finished with 2.0 sacks.
If Allen can weaponize Gordon in a similar way and help him learn to get home on those pressures, it'll be a major boost for the entire defense and Gordon's chances of getting more recognition around the league.
5 defensive free agents Dennis Allen could look to bring with him to Chicago after being hired as the Bears’ defensive coordinator
Will he look to bring in his guys?
