It's safe to say that the Chicago Bears have already exceeded all expectations for the season. Not many people saw such a big turnaround coming, especially given some of the glaring needs on the roster.
That's particularly true on the defensive side of the ball. General Manager Ryan Poles has done a solid job for the most part, but his efforts with the defense have left plenty to be desired. That's why, contrary to what some fans might think, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen actually deserves plenty of credit for what he's been able to do.
Dennis Allen Deserves More Credit And Ryan Poles Deserves More Blame
The Bears' defense allowed the fifth-most yards per game (373.8) during the regular season, ranking 23rd in points given up per game (24.4). According to Team Rankings data, they also ranked 21st in sack percentage (6.16 percent). That's clearly far from ideal, and it would be tough to praise the defensive coordinator with those types of numbers.
That being said, the Bears' defensive issues are personnel-related, and that ultimately falls on the general manager. The front four has been unable to generate pressure at the line of scrimmage, which either leaves opposing quarterbacks sitting in a clean pocket for as long as they need to find their guys, or Dennis Allen to call a blitz to try and put pressure on them. That leaves the Bears' defensive backs vulnerable in one-on-one situations, and they're not particularly great in that regard.
The Bears' defense has been too dependent on turnovers and splash plays. DBs coach Al Harris deserves plenty of credit for the job he's done to help the guys turn into legitimate ball-hawks. Truth be told, the talent hasn't always been there.
Poles missed the mark with picks like Zacch Pickens and Jaquan Brisker. Tyrique Stevenson and Gervon Dexter have been fairly inconsistent, and it's still too early to tell on Shermar Turner. That's not much of a good track record on defense.
He also wasted a top-40 pick and is paying an average of $22 million a year for Montez Sweat, gave Grady Jarrett $14 million a year, and Tremaine Edmunds $18 million a year. If that wasn't bad enough, Dayo Odeyingbo is making $16 million a year. That's a total of $70 million a year in subpar players, so, if anything, Dennis Allen deserves more credit for doing what he's done with the hand he's been given. He has a proven track record of success as a defensive specialist, so these issues aren't on him.