Chicago Bears: 3 keys for defense’s success in 2018

2. Keep the safeties’ roles intact

One of the most intriguing things about the Chicago Bears defense last season, especially on the back end, was the way they deployed their safeties.

In past years, we’d seen Adrian Amos generally play a solid game in terms of being where he was supposed to be and making tackles but not really make many impact plays. In particular, he just didn’t excel in coverage or show solid ball skills even as a free safety.

With Eddie Jackson in the fold, Amos’ play took off for a few reasons.

First off, Jackson’s readiness as a rookie helped cover up match-up issues that the Bears struggled with in the past. He could play the deep zone with the instincts and athleticism to truly discourage deep throws and make plays on the football, allowing Amos to play closer to the line of scrimmage.

And if the Bears faced an opponent with a receiving threat at tight end (like Minnesota’s Kyle Rudolph), Jackson could play man-to-man on that player and let Amos roam deep instead of exposing him on coverage.

If the Bears are wise, they’ll continue to utilize their safeties in this complementary fashion.

No doubt, Amos can improve as a cover man and may continue to expand his game that way. He did make strides with his ball skills last season.

But he’s at his best when he can come downhill and make the play in front of him, and Fangio knows that. On the other hand, Jackson is best in coverage, running all over the field and diagnosing plays.

Keep putting these guys, as well as other plays on the defense in the best positions to succeed without asking them to do things they can’t do. If the Chicago Bears continue that philosophy, they’ll continue having success.