Bears' pass rush is starting to taper off at the wrong time but they can look to rebound against Sam Darnold and the Vikings
The Chicago Bears are starting to get inconsistent at a key area on defense where the team can't afford to be inconsistent at.That area is the pass rush from the team's defense. Over the last three games, the defense has only registered two total sacks, compared to 10 sacks over the first seven games of […]
The Chicago Bears are starting to get inconsistent at a key area on defense where the team can't afford to be inconsistent at.
That area is the pass rush from the team's defense. Over the last three games, the defense has only registered two total sacks, compared to 10 sacks over the first seven games of the regular season.
Overall, the process has still worked for the unit when it comes to rotating the defensive front, but getting back to playing at a consistent level seems to be a priority for the unit going into Sunday's game.
"Definitely need a more, better coordinated pass rush, getting on the quarterback, hitting the quarterback," head coach Matt Eberflus said on Wednesday. "That's something we have to look at. We have to be better there, for sure. That's something we're going to look at this week. It's something that we have to be coordinated with and have a better result."
Last week against the Green Bay Packers, the unit only recorded one sack and 11 total pressures. The unit was heavily criticized for only blitzing Packers' quarterback Jordan Love on three dropbacks. However, the Bears have been bullish on sending extra help and ideally prefer to get things done with a base 4-man rush.
"That's a weekly aspiration and goal," defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "Everything we like to do starts with our 4-man rush. Whatever we desire to do in terms of sending an extra player should complement that. But, we have to have production with our 4-man rush."
Keeping the extra help in coverage could be a key strategy toward coming after Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Sam Darnold in Week 12. Through the first 11 weeks, Darnold's 145.0 passer rating against the blitz leads all quarterbacks. Against the blitz Darnold has thrown eight touchdowns and zero interceptions this season.
However, against pressure, Darnold has thrown seven interceptions to 11 touchdowns. This season, Darnold has been sacked 28 times, only 10 of those sacks came against the blitz. When he's not blitzed, Darnold has an 86.7 passer rating. So, essentially this should set up well for the Bears' plan on defense.
To get more insight on how the Vikings have held up in pass protection, I reached out to our own Vikings' beat writer Tyler Forness.
"The Vikings’ offensive line is such an interesting enigma," Forness explained. "They rank fifth in ESPN’s pass block win rate, which measures blocks held for 2.5 seconds or longer. Head coach Kevin O’Connell asks the offensive line to block for a long period of time. That is also emphasized by Sam Darnold being third in the NFL in time to throw at 3.06 seconds per Next Gen Stats.
"It will be difficult to get home with the Vikings having quality tackles and interior players who are doing well enough, plus Darnold is doing a great job in avoiding pressure by stepping up in the pocket and side stepping rushers," Forness added. "The pass rush will have to be relentless to get home but it’s certainly possible."
Based on that, it's clear the Bears have to get home quick with the 4-man rush on Sunday to get the better of Darnold. If not, Darnold will be able to get away from the pressure, allowing him to make plays like these below.
If the base 4-man pass rush doesn't hit home on Sunday, the Bears are going to be in for a long game. If they do, the unit can capitalize on any potential mistakes made by Darnold and the Vikings' offense.
Insights on how Caleb Williams and Thomas Brown can effectively attack Brian Flores’ defensive scheme in Week 12
It’ll be a tough challenge on Sunday.
