Recent trade pays off in a big way with pass rusher Darrell Taylor making a statement in his first game with the Bears
Even after the Chicago Bears finished the preseason with a perfect undefeated record, the front office and coaching staff knew the team was still missing some key pieces.One day after the preseason came to a close, the Bears made their move to acquire an underrated talent to add to the defensive unit in pass rusher […]
Even after the Chicago Bears finished the preseason with a perfect undefeated record, the front office and coaching staff knew the team was still missing some key pieces.
One day after the preseason came to a close, the Bears made their move to acquire an underrated talent to add to the defensive unit in pass rusher Darrell Taylor to help round out the defensive line room on the roster.
It only took one game as a Bear playing on Soldier Field for Taylor to make his presence felt.
The Bears acquired the 27-year-old pass rusher in exchange for a sixth-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Taylor, who was set to be released by the Seahawks has already found himself in a better situation on the Bears 53-man roster.
Since arriving in Chicago, Taylor has been receiving glowing reviews, well before his big game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
"Energy," head coach Matt Eberflus said after the win. "He is straight energy. He brings it every single day. I love his passion and he fits in right with our guys. He's been great in the building, a great pro, he's been great. It's good that he's here."
Taylor indeed fit right in with the rest of the players on Eberflus' defensive unit and the mentality the defense was looking to play with on the field. After a rough start to the game, the Bears defense held the Titans scoreless in the second half, while coming away with three sacks and three turnovers.
Two of those sacks came from Taylor, including a strip sack against quarterback Will Levis early in the fourth quarter to give the team a late spark.
Taylor also became the latest Bears pass rusher to acknowledge the impact Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat brings to his fellow pass rushers.
On the play that ended with a strip sack, Sweat faced a double team from right guard Andrew Rupcich and right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. That left the rest of the defensive line in favorable one-on-one matchups while linebacker Tremaine Edmunds blitzed as well. Taylor easily beat left tackle JC Latham outside on the opposite edge and got home to make the sack.
"That guy [Montez Sweat] has established himself as a great pass rusher in the league so we're definitely going to get a lot of attention all year so that gives me an opportunity to work and that's exactly what I'm going to do," Taylor said via 247sports.
With Sweat on the field, it can be anyone's day on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. On Sunday, it was the newest member off the edge who stepped up and took advantage of his opportunities.
There’s an obvious reason why the Bears offense struggled against the Titans and it’s an annoying one that needs to be fixed immediately
Gotta be better in those situations.
