The Chicago Bears will start their training camp activities at the end of this week, as there are many expectations and intriguing stories lines leading up to the 2025 season. With new head coach Ben Johnson, there will be immense pressure to see what will transpire with the offense and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Although there will be significant focus on Johnson, there will be as much pressure on new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and if the proven defensive play-caller can fix a pass-rushing issue that plagued the team for the several years.
Dennis Allen has to develop one of the younger defensive linemen as a credible pass-rush threat
Dennis Allen has been a defensive play-caller for the last 14 years, whether as a defensive coordinator or as a head coach and has consistently had success. Allen’s defensive units have constantly ranked in the top ten of most league defensive stats for the past decade during his time as a coordinator and coach for the New Orleans Saints. The primary staples the defensive coordinator’s success has been a consistent pass-rush generated by the defensive line and takeaways created off the pressure, whether fumbles or interceptions.
With Allen as the Bears’ new defensive coordinator, he will be solely in charge of the defense as Johnson’s primary focus for the head coach will be on developing and getting the offense to an elite-level. Despite Chicago having several veteran playmakers on defense that can help generate turnovers for Dennis Allen, it will up to the coordinator to generate defensive linemen that can generate reliable and consistent pass-rush pressure. Outside of defensive linemen Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears’ defensive line does not have a player who has recorded more than six sacks in a season.
Although Odeyingbo and Jarrett were added via free agency this offseason, the main concern is if the younger players, especially the defensive ends, can generate pass-rush pressure under Allen’s defense. Linemen like Gervon Dexter, Austin Booker, and rookie lineman Shemar Turner need to assist the proven veterans in creating sacks against opposing quarterbacks. Over the past two seasons’ the Bears’ defense has struggled significantly in sacking quarterbacks, as Sweat was isolated due to there being any other credible threats on defense.
One of Allen’s best attributes as a defensive coach has been his ability to create reliable and threatening pass-rusher whether during his time in Denver, Oakland, and New Orleans. From 2018 to 2023, Dennis Allen oversaw a Saints’ defense that featured two more defensive linemen who recorded six or more sacks, while having a different lineman record seven or more sacks in each of the last three seasons. Over the last three years, Chicago did not have a defensive player record six or more sacks, except for Sweat in the second half of the 2023 seasons.
A helpful aspect to Allen’s defensive scheme is that it is a hybrid Cover-2 and is similar to what a majority of the defensive players have played in the last three season in Chicago under former head coach Matt Eberflus. For the Bears defense to be successful in 2025, they will need pass-rush pressure from other than Sweat, Odeyingbo, and Jarrett. That means that Dennis Allen will have develop either Booker, Turner, or Dexter, with one of them needing to capitalize on opposing offensive pass-blocking assignments being significantly focused on one of the more reliable veterans.
Dennis Allen must repeat the same success that Vic Fangio had
For the Bears to have a return to a consistent pass-rush pressure from the defensive line. Allen will have to generate similar results to that of former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who oversaw a reliable defensive unit for four seasons. Fangio was Chicago’s defensive play-caller from 2015 to 2018, as his defense consistently featured pressure from defensive linemen as a team staple. Several defensive ends saw success playing in the defensive coach’s 3-4 scheme, which relied on their presence to help stop opposing quarterbacks.
The 2015 season displayed Fangio’s talent for developing pass-rushers, as he helped several defensive veterans either have the same level of production or a bounce back year in a completely new defensive scheme. Despite shifting from a 4-3 to 3-4 defensive gameplan, edge rushers like Willie Young, LaMarr Houston, and Pernell McPhee each recorded six or more sacks. During Vic Fangio’s four seasons as defensive coordinator for the Bears, the unit averaged 41 sacks a year.
It is that level of constant pass-rush pressure that Dennis Allen will have to create and develop for the Bears’ defense in 2025. If Allen wants to see the same production that Fangio had during his four years as a defensive coordinator, then one of his younger defensive linemen will need to be turned into a star. The former defensive play-caller developed defensive end Akiem Hicks, who recorded 23 sacks from 2017 to 2018 while being named to the Pro Bowl in 2018.
Allen will become a successful coordinator for the Bears not only if the defense is a top ten unit statistically, but if one of the younger defensive players has a breakout season. Imagine a scenario where Booker records eight or more sacks, especially with how he was receiving comparisons to All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby during the draft process last year. Dennis Allen has proven capable of developing players and defenses as a whole during his 15 year play-calling career, but he can solidify himself as one of the best ever if he can do it for the Bears now.
Chicago Bears stadium project hits speed bump with Arlington Heights govt
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
