Thread: "D" leads league in takeaways, 3rd in Run , 5th in points-Growl back

Mullin: Bears 'D' developing personality, swagger

By John Mullin
CSNChicago.com

One thing the Bears defensive players of 2005 and 2006 became utterly sick of was the incessant comparisons of them with past great defenses, most frequently the 1985 bunch. Both ’05 and ’06 defenses finished in the top five in yardage allowed while the ’05 defense allowed just 202 points, third-best in franchise history and bettered by only the ’85 and ’86 teams.

But now, standing sixth in the NFL in yardage allowed and fifth in scoring, the 2010 Bears are being compared instead to themselves of just a few years ago. They are on pace to allow fewer points than the 2006 Super Bowl team; they are allowing 20 fewer rushing yards per game than the sixth-ranked 2006 defense; and they have allowed only 6 more points through five games than the 2005 did to this point of the season.

More important, while no one was noticing, they have developed a swagger and a personality.

They had that back in those last two playoff seasons. But that was when Lance Briggs, Tommie Harris, Charles Tillman and Brian Urlacher all were young pups in a sport where four and five years of age makes a difference.

“Absolutely,” said safety Chris Harris, a member of both the 2005 and 2006 defenses. “Guys are still vibrant.

“We’re big kids, really big kids. The energy is still there. Regardless [of the passage of years]. Yeah, it was 4-5 years ago but guys are still playing at a high level and guys are playing with the intensity we had back then.”

Urlacher returning and Julius Peppers arriving are the two biggest elements in the personality formation. Along with Harris, the Bears effectively “added” a major figure in each of the three levels on defense: line, linebackers and secondary.

And while Peppers had 91 million reasons for choosing Chicago, he had similar money potentially elsewhere. But Briggs and Urlacher “are unbelievable,” Peppers said. “That’s one of the reasons I came here, to play with those guys, to play on a team like this.”

Bears opponents have had 64 possessions; the defense has ended 24 of those in three-and-out’s, 37.5 percent, the most in the NFL.

No team has more takeaways than the Bears’ 14 (tied with Detroit). Through five games last year the Bears had eight.

The Bears are the only team to hold two opponents under 170 net yards this season (Carolina, Detroit). Last year without Peppers, Urlacher and Harris, the Bears didn’t do that even once.

In the 16 games of 2005 they accomplished that exactly once, and then not until Game 9. Same in 2006, once.

Comparisons can be dangerous and misleading. But these comparisons are to the Bears themselves. And those are worth noting. The Bears’ defense is not getting older; it is getting better.

The notion of Lovie Smith and the coaching staff holding players more accountable conveniently ignores recent history. But where accountability is happening, and where it arguably matters even more, is inside the defense itself.

“We all hold each other accountable,” Peppers said. “It’s not one person or one coach. We all get on each other. We all know we have a job to do and we have to go out and do it and if we don’t, certain things happen.”

total "O" and "D" breakdown( Collins hideous performnce took us from middle to bottom 3rd on O)

Snapshot: Chicago Bears through 5 games

Category No.NFL Rank
Offensive yards per game 280.8 27

Points per game 18.4 T-22

First downs per game 14.8- 27

Third down pct. 21- 32

Passing yards per game 182.2 -24

Passer rating 74.8- 22

Rushing yards per game 98.6- 23

Defense


Defensive yards per game 295.2-6

Points allowed per game 14.8 - 5

First downs allowed per game 16.6- T-6

Third down pct.30-3

Passing allowed yards per game 216.6- 17

Passer rating 67.4-4

Rushing yards allowed per game 78.6 - 3

Takeaways 14 T-1

Giveaways12 - 27

Total penalties 28 20