The Chicago Bears boosted their anemic pass rush at the trade deadline by bringing in defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. It was not the splashy trade some Bears fans were hoping for, but the team was desperate for more depth and quality on the edge, and Tryon-Shoyinka was a worthy gamble. Considering what it took for the Bears to acquire him, they should be happy with what they saw from him in his debut.
It certainly wasn't a dominant defensive performance from the Bears on Sunday, as they gave up 431 yards to an underwhelming New York Giants offense in the 24-20 win. Yet, the defense did enough down the stretch to make the fourth-quarter comeback.
More important than the overall defensive showing, perhaps, was the individual performances of the newcomers. C.J. Gardner-Johnson's first two games with the team understandably stole the headlines, but Bears fans should be happy with what they saw from Tryon-Shoyinka, as well.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka Off to a Strong Start to Bears' Tenure
The newest Bears addition played 16 defensive snaps and was the third pass rusher in the rotation. While he didn't fill up the box score as he finished with one tackle, he received solid grades on Pro Football Focus across the board. (Defense 56.9, run defense 57.1, tackling 70.5, pass rush 58.4)
Those are certainly not eye-popping numbers by any means, but compared to what the Bears were getting out of the likes of Dayo Odeyingbo, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Shemar Turner, it is a big improvement. Tryon-Shoyinka's defensive grade was significantly higher than any of the aforementioned defensive ends who played significant snaps for Chicago earlier in the season.
This is a promising start for the former University of Washington standout, but the Bears' pass rush still has ways to go.
Austin Booker's return has certainly given them a boost, and he and Montez Sweat will continue to get as many snaps as they can handle. Tryon-Shoyinka seems to be the third name in the rotation, but how things will shake out once Dominique Robinson returns from his high-ankle sprain remains to be seen. Daniel Hardy is the only other edge defender currently on the roster, but he has largely been an afterthought even amid the absences. He hasn't been particularly effective in his limited snaps, either.
The Bears' defense has been far from perfect this season, ranking in the bottom 10 in both pass and run defense. If they are going to make a postseason run, an improvement is needed. Gardner-Johnson and Tryon-Shoyinka's starts should give Bears fans some hope that it is possible, and it'll be interesting to see if the newly-acquired duo will maintain their momentum down the stretch.