Bears' D to benefit from new-look offense

Didn't see this one posted, but I mentioned this same thing in another thread so I thought it'd be a good read and discussion.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4676321/bears-d-to-benefit-from-new-look-offense

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Although additions on defense seemed few compared to what the Chicago Bears did on the other side of the ball, coach Lovie Smith thinks the team’s new offensive weaponry can actually play a role in improving the defense.
Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Tillman admitted as much, too, based strictly off practice matchups against new receiver Brandon Marshall.
“I love it,” Tillman said. “It’s making us a lot better with Earl (Bennett) in the slot, with Devin (Hester) in the slot, with Brandon. I think (quarterback) Jay (Cutler) has a pretty good arsenal, a pretty good selection (also with) adding Eric Weems. The one thing I can say about Brandon is it’s like game day every day. Every play, I feel like I’m getting that game-quality competition. He’s a competitor. I’m a competitor, and I need that. It makes me good and it pushes me, and I think it pushes him as well.”
Officially, the Bears actually added eight players on offense and eight more on defense through veteran free agency and the 2012 NFL Draft. Perhaps the acquisitions on offense just seemed more pronounced considering the team’s struggles at receiver -- a position at which the Bears added one of the league’s best in Marshall -- and at backup quarterback, where it picked up former first-round pick Jason Campbell.
Smith said the playmakers acquired on offense “gives (the defense) confidence.” Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli revels in the “really great competition” between the units in practices.
“We talk a lot on the defensive side about getting the football back, giving our offense another opportunity to win and to score points,” Smith said. “Knowing what we have over there, they can see that even more by adding a guy like Brandon Marshall, like Michael Bush, Eric Weems, getting Kellen Davis into the mix more along with our stars that we had on offense last year.”
That’s not to say the defense hasn’t improved. Tillman called the cornerback position “the best group we’ve had in just overall talent” in “my 10 years of being here.”
Smith singled out the corners for producing a strong offseason as well, but added that by working throughout the offseason program, safeties Chris Conte and Major Wright “both have a chance to be pretty good football players.”

“So I feel pretty good about our secondary,” Smith said. “They get a chance to work with a guy like Brandon Marshall every day (which is) especially (beneficial) for a guy like Charles Tillman getting ready for the big guy in Detroit (Calvin Johnson). I like what we’re doing.”
Perhaps Bears fans will, too, in 2012.
“It’s great,” Marinelli said of the defense’s work thus far against the offense. “We’ve got some great receivers, and our quarterback obviously has got a cannon. That’s size, and they’re fast. So that’s great stuff for us. I think our guys look forward to it.”

Good stuff. Iron sharpens iron even in football. By getting better on one side of the ball you complement (at least somewhat) the other side by constantly having to go against the WR's. Add in extra competition and IMO the CB's might really have a chance to shine.

One way the offense can really help the defense is by keeping them off the field longer. Give those old codgers over on that side of the a ball a break, LOL.

I haven't seen or heard this much enthusiam coming out of these guys in a long long time. They're competing with one another and having a blast doing it. Even Jay is grinning and speaking out more. Hell he's even gonna have his own radio show. Who woulda thought that could happen.

not just giving them a rest, but keeping guys like Rodgers and his WR's, and Matthews and Calvin off the field is the best way to keep them from scoring on you.

Playing a much higher percentage of the time with the lead will also help out the defense. Put teams in a passing almost every down mode in the later parts of the second half, and Peppers & co. can pin their ears back and go sack some QBs. I like where that would lead.

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Originally Posted by soulman

One way the offense can really help the defense is by keeping them off the field longer. Give those old codgers over on that side of the a ball a break, LOL.

I haven't seen or heard this much enthusiam coming out of these guys in a long long time. They're competing with one another and having a blast doing it. Even Jay is grinning and speaking out more. Hell he's even gonna have his own radio show. Who woulda thought that could happen.

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That was exactly my thought soul. The best medicine for an aging but talented Defense is;

1. Avoid requiring them to play 40 minutes in a game. If our Offense can eat up time and require our defenders to play as little as 25 minutes, those aging all-stars (Urlacher, Briggs, Peppers, Tillman) will look a lot better.

2. Allow the Defense to play with a lead (especially a 2 score lead) will allow them to pin their ears back and play much more aggressively. Defensive guys love that shit. That's when pics and sacks happen in bunches.

The best teams succeed in putting points on the board early and making the other guy play catch up. In order to do that you need a good passing game to either strike from a distance or move the ball downfield and score before the opposing defense can get adjusted to what you're doing. The Packers have become masters at that.

For the first time in many years we finally have a passing game capable of that. I expect our scoring in the first and second quarters to be better than it has. Getting ahead and turning the pass rush loose it exactly what this defense is built for. Now if we can just execute that way.

Playing with the lead and then pinning thier ears back and going at the QB sounds great. But you still have Lovie, which means he'll go with the prevent D. And god knows we all hate to see that shit.