The Chicago Bears have gone 2-0 on the season since losing Caleb Williams due to a hamstring injury. Understandably, the offense of Ben Johnson and the play of backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum have been garnering no shortage of attention. While this is deserved, it is ignoring the absolute masterclass that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has put on over the past two weeks against two offensive teams that had previously proven themselves capable.
Over the last two weeks the Bears have only allowed a grand total of 19 points. Allen's unit shut down the Eagles completely keeping Jalen Hurts caged in and giving up a lone touchdowns, while theJets managed only 12 points. Each week the adjustments made to slow the opposing offense and play into the hands of Allen's unit have been clear.
The Bears sacked the quarterback five times over the past two weeks and have taken an unexpected leap in coverage. After being picked apart in the secondary by Bryce Young in the first week of the season it was fair to wonder how long these growing pains might last. In the three weeks since there hasn't been a hint of these worries as Chicago's secondary has been incredibly consistent.
Allen is pushing all of the right buttons and it is fun to imagine the heights the unit might reach once Caleb Williams is back in the lineup. When this Chicago roster is fully healthy there is absolutely the makings of a Super Bowl winning roster and Allen's defense is an underrated piece of this.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen deserves far more credit for fueling Chicago's two-game win streak
What makes the performance so impressive is the fact it has been accomplished with the opposing team understanding that a fast start is going to likely put away Chicago. Neither Keenum nor Bagent were forced to play under any meaningful pressure because Allen's defense was able to quickly figure things out and leave a long road for the offense protecting leads and letting them build.
One of the underrated pieces of this is how often the coordinator was changing the look at the line of scrimmage and pushing both Jalen Hurts and Geno Smith to make quick decisions. Allen told each quarterback with his actions that he trusted his coverage and dared the decision-maker to hold the ball long enough to make the Bears pay.
This worked early on and allowed the Bears to respond by transitioning to a bit softer coverage and daring either offense to drive the length of the field. No question, Allen deserves immense credit for putting Chicago in a position to win and getting the absolute most out of his roster.
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