LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have a top-10 defense, and it is far from satisfied with its performance in the first part of the season. The defense has kept the team in games while the offense has struggled to find its footing as Caleb Williams goes through the usual learning process for rookie quarterbacks.
The Bears (2-2) clinched both of their wins with late interceptions. “Honestly, we haven’t been good enough,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “Quite honestly.
I feel like we definitely haven’t taken away the explosive plays that we want to. We definitely let some of those go. “We definitely have got hit on some of our runs.
Just not being disciplined, not being where we are supposed to be consistently.” The Bears' 10th-ranked defense is third in takeaways with eight and second in passer rating against (69.0).
Thanks to Gervon Dexter's three sacks and two each by Darrell Taylor and Montez Sweat, they have pulled up to the middle of the league in sacks (10) after they were next to last in 2023 and last in 2022. Taylor was acquired in a trade with Seattle just before the season, giving Chicago an extra pass-rusher for its rotation and creating an opportunity to move players around. Sweat has been lining up in different spots for the first time since he came over in a trade last year with Washington.
“Those two guys have the ability to affect a quarterback, and certainly Montez can win from anywhere on the defensive line,” defensive coordinato.
