Chicago Bears: Pernell McPhee and Leonard Floyd duo can be a great duo

In Pernell McPhee and Leonard Floyd, the Chicago Bears may have a very good pass rushing duo in 2017.

One of the problems the Chicago Bears had that contributed to their poor showing over the past several seasons is their pass rush. On too many occasions, opposing quarterbacks had plenty of time to sit in the pocket and wait until a receiver finally got open. The Bears pass rush could not get to quarterbacks and they could not even put enough pressure on them.

Things could change in 2017.

Pro Football Focus recently tweeted a list of the top five outside 3-4 linebackers over the last five weeks of the season. Even though each player missed the last game, both Pernell McPhee and Leonard Floyd landed on that list.

Yes, I know this list just looks at the final five weeks and not the entire season, but when head coach John Fox or general manager Ryan Pace talk about the Bears being close to ending their losing ways, this is part of what they refer to.

In those final five weeks, both players recorded two sacks each. The sack isn’t the only important stat. If you pressure the quarterback, he’ll throw earlier than he wants. Floyd had 13 hurries, while McPhee had 7.

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Stats like these give the Bears and their fans some hope for the future. Yes, it’s just a third of the season, and we need them to do it over the entire campaign. Also, we all know the injuries this Bears team, especially Floyd and McPhee suffered through. The pair missed a total of eleven games (four by Floyd and seven by McPhee) in 2016. In order to extend their good play for an entire season, they need to be on the field.

Both players did their best to avoid injuries in 2017. Floyd reported with added weight on his body while McPhee went the opposite way and lost a few pounds (goes to show the difference between older and younger players, lol). Hopefully, their bodies hold up for the entire season.

It is crucial for this duo to do their jobs. If they put pressure on the quarterback, it helps the secondary. The defensive backs won’t need to run around for a long time trying to contain a receiver. Additionally, if the quarterback throws before he wants to, the chances of getting interceptions go up greatly. That also helps the offense, which ends up using a short field to work with after a turnover.

Next: How safe is John Fox's job?

If the McPhee/Floyd combination remains healthy in 2017, expect opposing quarterbacks to go down and expect the defensive turnovers to go up.