Fixing Sean Desai's First Bears Defense

When Sean Desai took over as coordinator from Chuck Pagano, he inherited a struggling Bears defense.

At least in relative terms, they were struggling. The Bears still ranked among the top half of the league, 11th overall, but there have been real problems develop over the course of the two seasons Pagano presided over the defense.

This wasn't all necessarily the way Pagano called defenses or the way the coaching staff handled players. Some of this had to do with personnel, as well. 

One major defensive problem was related to injuries and in theory can be corrected. The other issues remain problems for Desai and his coaches to correct.  

3. Inconsistent run stoppers

The Bears in 2019 dropped off to eighth from first in rushing, and last year fell to 15th. They didn't have Akiem Hicks three-quarters of 2019, and last year didn't have Eddie Goldman all year or Hicks in one game. They allow 79 yards a game rushing since 2018 when both are in the lineup, but 40 yards a game more when they are missing either or both players. 

The real questions they face is whether Goldman can return from an opt-out at the same level and Hicks is still the same player at age 31. Both of those seem far less of a problem than other issues they face.

2. Short passing dead zone

This largely encompasses two positions and the first is nickel cornerback. Buster Skrine made very few plays on the ball and had no interceptions in two seasons. He came from a defensive scheme largely reliant on man-to-man to play in a cover-3/quarters zone emphasis. 

Even though the nickel cornerback gets saddled with plenty of man-to-man coverage in the Bears' defensive scheme, zone remains the basic diet and Skrine wasn't at his best playing this way. Then he had concussion problems.

The Bears ranked 22nd in completion percentage allowed over the short middle (71.5%) and 20th over the short right (69.2%), according to NFLGSIS.com. They were ranked second covering the short left, which is the side of the field both Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith most often line up. 

The slot cornerback is vital in all short-area coverage but particularly the middle and right. So, too, is inside linebacker Danny Trevathan, and he has never been strong at pass coverage. He gave up five touchdown passes in 2018 when he was still solid overall. In the last two years, Trevathan gave up 87.5% and 78% completions and had passer ratings of 113.5 and 118.4 against  when targetedaccording to Sportradar via Pro Football Reference. They may need to start substituting more with an extra safety in passing situations if this continues.

The third-down defense totally collapsed last year, after allowing 29.8% over the first half of the season when they were No. 1 in the league. They gave up 48% over the final eight games.

More importantly, with Skrine no longer on the team the Bears now have to come up with someone to fill the nickel cornerback role. They tried Duke Shelley last year after Skrine's second concussion and during minicamp still had Shelley playing the position with the first team.  

They think they have several potential candidates.

"We like the volume and the depth that we got there," Desai said.

Another one is Thomas Graham Jr., although he is a rookie and didn't get much time there in minicamp. 

"They just told me that they want me to come in here and learn the playbook, be able to play both corner and nickel," Graham said. "So they told me just go out there and compete, do as best as you can, and that's what I'm going to do."

1. Hole on the edge

Khalil Mack has fought through injuries but remains a major defensive force on one side of the line, the NFL's top-ranked edge rusher according to Pro Football Focus. When Hicks was healthy, they had the strong interior rush necessary to complement Mack and take double teams off of him. 

Even last year when Mack had nine sacks and was held to his Bears low of 31 QB pressures, they had a consistent year rushing the passer from Hicks. He had 22 pressures, although he was only able to finish 3 1/2 sacks and none after Week 4. 

What the Bears didn't have last year was anything at all on the edge of the line opposite Mack. Robert Quinn's inability to contribute last year proved a colossal burden to their defense, and not simply in the pass rush. 

Quinn had only 16 pressures a year after getting 35 in Dallas, and six quarterback hits. It was the same total hits he had in 2016 with the Rams when he played in only nine games. 

The Bears didn't get great finishing numbers from Leonard Floyd while he played in Chicago, but he had more than Quinn's 2020 total of two sacks in every year he played here. In his final two seasons when he had trouble making sacks, Floyd had 26 pressures. Pressure can help lead to turnovers or incompletions.

Almost as big, Floyd helped greatly in stopping the run. He proved particularly adept at coming off the back side and using his speed to drag down backs before they built up momentum to get downfield. Floyd averaged 38 tackles a season from 2017-2019. 

Quinn has never been an asset against the run in his career and had 20 tackles last year.

The other real problem for Desai this year associated with Quinn is his lack of versatility in relation to the passing game. 

When the Bears had Floyd, they could drop him off into short coverage areas and he played like a linebacker outside and not a defensive end. Quinn cannot cover passes. He will prevent Desai from mixing up coverages and rushers in the way Vic Fangio could when he had Floyd. 

This was part of the reason for Bears problems in short pass coverage.

Floyd defended 31 passes in his last two seasons with the Bears and had solid passer ratings against when targeted of 86.9 and 85.3. The Bears put Quinn in position to be targeted only three times and Barkevious Mingo, who was a player they used because Quinn wasn't versatile enough, was targeted only six times.

So, saying the Bears need Quinn to rebound doesn't do justice to what they need from him. 

They could solve this totally if second-year edge Trevis Gipson suddenly develops, because he flashed great athleticism last year in brief play.

They need a total, complete resurrection by Quinn because it can impact their defense greatly in terms of pass rush pressure and even stopping the run. He's going to handicap their actual coverage of passes but this was a tradeoff Ryan Pace was willing to make when Quinn got $33 million guaranteed.

If Quinn could guarantee them more as a pass rusher and run stopper, Desai could find ways to compensate in coverage. Sacking the quarterback is always the best way to stop a pass.