LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker didn’t hesitate when asked about the unit’s biggest area for improvement heading into Week 2.
“Third down,” he said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “We have to get off the field on third down.”
Walker added that the defense needs takeaways to stop the run and get after the quarterback, but he was extremely frustrated with the inability to stop the Green Bay Packers on third down.
The Packers were 9-for-16 on third downs. Jordan Love threw touchdown passes on third and fourth down. He was 7-for-9 passing for 106 yards with a 152.8 passer rating on third down. Meanwhile, the Bears hit Love just three times (with one sack) in the game.
It only took one game, but coach Matt Eberflus’ defensive scheme and reliance on a front four in attack was already a problem. The new-look group, still an area of weakness, did not do a good enough job to upset Loew, who was making his second professional start.
In case anyone has forgotten, the 2022 Bears ranked 22nd in blitz percentage and 32nd in quarterback hits — 17 behind the 31st-ranked Brown.
They opened the 2023 season with three QB hits and one sack.
“Build more chemistry,” Walker said of how to fix that. “This is my first game back, where I’m used to the players, I know how to pace myself, I have a better game plan going into Sundays then I don’t think too much, in my opinion. Just trusting that the treatment and everything I’ve done to get to this point is good. No. I can guess my haste.
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The blame game is back on the Bears’ offense: Is it Justin Fields? Look Jitsi? Offensive line?
The Bears are making 16.7 percent of their turnovers, which is fifth-fewest in the league, according to TruMedia. This formula did not work. Love made big plays when given the opportunity to clear the field.
It started in the Packers’ opening drive. On third-and-goal, the Bears rallied for four goals. Walker got double teamed. Love had a clean pocket and found Romeo Dobbs for a touchdown.
Midway through the second quarter, on third-and-6, the Bears attempted a stunt with Yannick Ngakoue-Walker. The Packers picked it up without any problem.
Love hit open receiver Samori Torre, who found space in the middle of the defense when cornerback Tyreek Stevenson didn’t stay with him. The rest of the defenders were in man-to-man defence.
Just before halftime, facing third-and-10, the Bears’ defensive line became as close to love as it could get. Rasheem Green was a step away from the ball but there was no internal pressure.
Love has also looked away from linebacker Tremaine Edmonds, helping to create more open space for rookie receiver Jaylen Reed.
Here’s the result.
On Sunday in Tampa Bay, the Bears will face a Buccaneers team that was just 6-for-17, but they protected quarterback Baker Mayfield well. The Vikings hit him just twice despite making a league-high 47.4 percent of their pass attempts, according to TruMedia.
Mayfield is on his fourth team in three years for a reason, but he can do well with a clean pocket. Check out the Bucs’ protection on his touchdown pass to receiver Mike Evans.
From the sideline view, we see that there was no Vikings defender within 4 yards of Mayfield who could be patient as Evans ran his route.
In the second quarter, Mayfield had to maneuver the pocket a bit, but he didn’t need to scramble. He bought time but had no one in his passing lane, allowing for another easy touchdown.
Eberflus certainly won’t reveal the game plan for Sunday. After barely breaking ground in the first two games of the 2022 season, the Bears hounded Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills on 30.3 percent of his dropbacks in a Week 3 win.
“Week to week, we do what we think is best to impact the quarterback, and that could certainly be the case this week and we’ll see where it goes,” Eberflus said. “But I know that impact on the quarterback is the process we want to get done. I don’t think we did it well enough last week. Moving forward, we’ve got to get it done.”
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Justin Fields The Bears offense failed to show progress in Week 1. it’s a problem
One problem is that cornerback Kyler Gordon, one of the team’s best tacklers, injured his hand on one of the few snaps the Bears called for. He has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games. His potential replacement, Josh Blackwell, can be used as a blitzer but is not as adept at the practice as Gordon.
That could mean we see safety Jaquan Brisker, the team’s sack leader last year, involved in some pressure packages, or perhaps one of the three linebackers. Based on what Walker said, defensive linemen have to adjust better.
Will Eberflus trust the D-linemen to shake off the Week 1 rust and go after Mayfield on their own? Or will Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams decide they need to get more creative with their pressure creation?
It didn’t happen in a timely manner against the Packers. This is still not a high-ceiling defensive lineman. The Bears don’t have the strongest roster of opposing quarterbacks on the schedule, but it won’t matter much if their pass rush is anything like what we saw in Week 1.
(Top Image: Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
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