During the first seven weeks of the season, the Chicago Bears had a very inconsistent pass rush that was far below the standard this team had for that highly-paid unit.

Over that stretch, the Bears ranked 8th in the NFL with 19.0 combined sacks but 18th with 85 total pressures. Of those numbers, 6.0 sacks and 41 pressures came while sending 5+ pass rushers (aka blitzing). The front four desperately needed improvement.

Which is why the Bears swung big to land Jeffery Simmons prior to Week 8, a player they believed could open things up for everyone defensively, while being a dominating threat in his own right. Still, that move didn’t immediately rule out another addition.

After landing Simmons, multiple insiders continued to hint about the Bears still searching for another impact pass rusher. The name on everyone’s radar was Khalil Mack. However, the Los Angeles Chargers refused to move Mack, and the Bears opted out of exploring other options ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. A big reason why the Bears pivoted is because of the results the pass rush produced the last two games with Simmons on the field.

Chicago Bears’ pass rush has hit a different gear since adding Jeffery Simmons

Since adding Simmons to the defense, the Bears have totaled 7.0 sacks and 28 pressures over the last two games. The best part is that 5.0 of those sacks and 24 of those pressures came while sending four or fewer pass rushers. Simply put, Simmons presence has helped unlock Chicago’s pass rush without the need of sending extra rushers via the blitz.

“They’re playing really well,” Ben Johnson said on ESPN 1000. “I think Dennis Allen deserves a lot of credit for what he can put together from a gameplan perspective. Not only that, but just the way he instills certain mindsets day in and day out. Our guys, they adhere to it, and when we have a little success it just breeds more.”

The best part is Allen can actually plan more strategically when it comes to sending extra rushers. Before, the Bears were over-relying on that strategy and while it was effective, it left the secondary vulnerable. Now, Allen can dial up the blitz in specific situations while trusting that the front-four can win without the extra help.

“I think we can get pressure whether we send blitzes or whether we just send four, at this point,” Johnson added. “I mean, one of those sacks towards the end of the game (from Week 9) that Grady (Jarrett) and (Daniel) Hardy where in on, you can tell that a lot of attention is being paid to Jeffery Simmons. That’s a good thing.”

More on the Simmons impact and how it’s unlocked everyone else

Looking more at Simmons specifically, he’s recorded two sacks and four pressures in his first two games with the Bears. Solid personal numbers, but what he’s done opening things up for the other pass rushers has been even more impactful and the more time the coaches have to plan with Simmons, the better opportunities they can create for everyone.

“I think other guys are going to end up getting one on ones and end up effecting the quarterback that way,” Johnson explained. “It’s good to have that mix and that balance. Once again, I give the defensive staff a lot of credit with the plan they put in place with those guys.”

The two biggest beneficiaries of Simmons’ arrival have been Austin Booker and Montez Sweat. Both players have had eight pressures each over the last two games with a combined 2.0 sacks (a number that would be much higher if not for penalties). Booker has been bringing a lot of intensity and effort while Sweat has shown a lot more motivation since returning from his suspension and reuniting with Simmons, his former college teammate.

“I think obviously he was motivated to get back out there and play so that was good to see, and quite frankly, that’s the version that we expect to see every single week,” Allen said of Sweat. “…So now really the key for us defensively is, how do we continue to do that consistently week in and week out. I think that’s the challenge in our league, that you have to be able to show up each and every week and perform at a high level.”

Continuing to get that consistency rushing the passer in the second-half of the season is something the Bears are banking on after not making an additional move. After a two-game sample, there’s a lot more encouragement there. Plus the Bears will get a boost once Dayo Odeyingbo returns, adding another weapon to deploy up-front. We’ll see if the results continue to trend in a positive direction for this unit.