The Chicago Bears clearly have a very long way to go defensively to become the championship-level team they are capable of. One of the biggest issues was an inconsistent secondary that was burned by consistent penalties and mistakes. There is no excusing the level of play even early in the season, and considering the past accomplishments of Allen, it is fair to expect results as we move deeper into the season. One clear change needs to come from a pass rush that allowed Bryce Young to find far too much comfort.
Young had way too much time, and Montez Sweat was clearly the one edge rusher that could be relied on in the first week of the season. This is a recipe for exactly what happened last week as your secondary is struggling and no one is getting home consistently enough to force quick decisions. Until the Bears make a move or the current pieces offer improvement it is clear what the Bears need to do moving forward.
Allen is going to have to lean on creative blitz schemes and bring players from the secondary far more often. Keeping the opposing quarterback guessing as to where the rush is coming from and leaving less time for your secondary to cover is the best path to instant improvement.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen must offer more creative blitz packages to help offset early-season struggles
This isn't to say the Bears couldn't add further pass rushing options or that the secondary won't figure things out. Rather, it is objectively looking at the talent of the offense and coaching staff and understanding each week is incredibly important as the Bears are a team more than capable of making a deep playoff run and fighting for the NFC's top seed.
No question, Allen is going to have to go outside of himself and the typical calls just a bit becoming more creative with who is rushing the quarterback where they lineup. It was clear Carolina's protection was too capable for what Chicago's secondary currently sits and this is the best path to wiping away this concern.
Watching whether or not the coordinator is able to make this adjustment in the second week of the 2026 season will be telling especially against the Minnesota Vikings, a team with a questionable quarterback situation and incredibly low expectations. Creative blitz schemes are the simplest way to buy a bit of time to figure out a struggling secondary.
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