EP Chicago: Best Bears Defense Yet?

Defense Wins Championships Period

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

By Micky Shaked

The Chicago Bears grabbed hold of the NFC North lead this weekend from their office chairs, couches, and favorite barstools. The only finger each player, coach, and front office member likely lifted in the process was the one required to change the television channel.

The bye week was good to Lovie Smith’s squad as far as the standings are concerned.  But was the off-week more important for the five senior citizens that make up the defense’s core? Linebacker Lance Briggs doesn’t seem to think so.

“To tell you the truth, I don't want to rest during this bye week,” said Briggs to Chicago Tribune reporter Vaughn McClure. “I would like to keep on going through to continue this streak.''

Indeed, this year’s Monsters of the Midway are in the midst of what most would call a streak. Heading into the bye, Briggs and cornerback Charles Tillman became the first pair of teammates to score defensive touchdowns in consecutive weeks. Take away the five total touchdowns scored by the defense this season and the Bears’ scoring output is tied with Buffalo for 18^th best in the league at 22.8 points per game.

Could the 2012 defense be the best the Second City has seen in head coach Lovie Smith’s nine seasons, even better than the gold standard unit from 2005? The numbers paint an interesting picture a third of the way through the season. Though it is a general opinion that the NFL has become a passing league, the Bears are using their ability to completely eliminate the opponent’s run game to focus on stifling big plays through the air.

Urlacher and Co. are the stingiest they have ever been up front, allowing a paltry 65.8 yards per game on the ground, almost ten yards better than the next closest team, San Diego (74.0 yards per game).

If this pace continues Chicago will surrender just 1,053 rushing yards this year, 83 shy of Baltimore’s record for fewest rushing yards allowed in a 16-game season (970 yards). The 2005 Bears gave up 1,637 yards.

The Bears have allowed just one rushing touchdown so far, compared to nine given up in 2005.

Urlacher said it best before Chicago’s 41-3 drubbing of the Jaguars. “Our No. 1 goal every week is to stop the run, make a team one-dimensional and let our pass rushers get after the quarterback.”

Julius Peppers and the rest of the pass rushers have done just that. The Bears rank fourth in the NFL with 18 sacks, and all three teams ahead of them have played one more game.

Pressure from Peppers, Idonije, Henry Melton and others, has freed up the linebackers and defensive backs to create game-changing plays with regularity. Thirteen interceptions lead the NFL.

This team is already halfway to the 34 total turnovers produced by the 2005 defense, and is on pace to greatly surpass the 41 sacks registered by that unit.

All of the havoc created by players both old and young has forced opposing quarterbacks into an average 60.0 rating, nearly identical to what the 2005 defense did (61.2).

The 2012 Bears fall short of the 2005 standard in the only category that really matters: points allowed. Though they aren’t far behind. The current Chicago defense is surrendering just over 14 points per contest while the 2005 Bears gave up a miserly 12.6 each time they stepped on the field.

That number becomes somewhat less critical when your defense can potentially outscore the opponent’s offense, as the Bears did two weeks ago against Jacksonville. The defense is averaging a score per game whereas the 2005 team scored four times all season.

The numbers show an extremely even battle.

One could make the argument, though, that the Bears have not yet entered the difficult part of their schedule, having feasted on the remodeling Colts, the lowly Rams, and the hapless Jaguars.

This would be a valid argument were they not in line to face such weak offenses as the Panthers, Titans, Cardinals, and Seahawks, as well as the middling Lions and Vikings (twice each). Chicago is certainly the benefactor of a weaker 2012 schedule.

At the same time, the 2005 achievements stand out more because Kyle Orton, Thomas Jones and Muhsin Muhammad were the key members of a miserable offense that produced less than 17 points a game.

Currently, there is no definitive right or wrong answer to the question. The 2005 Bears defense was stout, ranking at or near the top in just about every statistical category. The 2012 unit is doing the same.

But, what stands out the most in Chicago’s defensive performance thus far is where the contributions are coming from.

Urlacher, Briggs, Tillman and Idonije all featured on the stingy unit that allowed opponents to score in double digits just eight times in Lovie’s second season as head coach.

All four are still leading the way seven years later, as is Peppers, playing in his 11^th season.

The average age for the top players who see the field regularly is 27.2. In 2005 that number was 25.3.

It is a true pleasure to see the elder statesmen putting in top-level work while bringing along the next generation in guys like Melton, Tim Jennings, Major Wright, Chris Conte, and Corey Wootton.

It should also spell a successful 2012 regular season and, with the slow start to the season by Green Bay, a possible division crown.

These Bears aren’t ready for Medicare just yet.