The Chicago Bears’ win over the Washington Commanders was a mess. Battling inside of Northwest Stadium on a rainy October night, the Bears scratched and clawed their way to a 25-24 victory, but outside of the aesthetics, there was something beautiful about the win.
The Bears' pass-rush, which had managed an NFL-low five sacks coming into the game, came alive, and Gervon Dexter Sr. led the charge. The 2023 second-round pick was in the Commanders’ backfield for most of the night, recording 1.5 sacks and five total tackles on a night where Chicago got to quarterback Jayden Daniels three times.
While it wasn’t an explosion, it was a positive development for a team that ranks 14th in pressure rate (20.3%) but is still tied for 30th with eight sacks. Even more so, the Bears may have found a way to fix the issue going forward as rookie Shemar Turner moved from an interior spot to the edge.
Bears May Have Found Right Spot for Shemar Turner After Position Switch
Turner has had a turbulent rookie season with the Bears as the second-round pick has struggled to find his footing. An ankle injury in the first training camp practice derailed most of his preseason, and Turner didn’t make his NFL debut until a Week 3 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Bears selected Turner with the idea that he could contribute as a defensive tackle, but he didn’t perform well in that role, logging an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 30.0 in his debut. Things didn’t get much better against the Las Vegas Raiders the following week, with a PFF grade of 50.3 on 15 snaps, but the Bears exclusively moved him to the edge for Monday’s win over the Commanders.
The move proved to be a success even though Turner didn’t log a pressure on nine pass-rushing snaps. His 60.8 overall PFF grade was a career high so far, and Turner posted a 63.2 grade in run defense with a run stop.
While he didn’t get a prolonged look on the outside, it was much better for the Bears’ defense, which could help spark the unit moving forward. Preseason star Austin Booker is expected to return soon from a knee injury suffered during the preseason, and if the Bears can get Grady Jarrett back to health, Jarrett, Dexter, and Austin Billings can hold down the interior of the defensive line.
If anything, Turner may have also shown some versatility to help out where needed. While the Bears may have pegged him strictly as a defensive lineman before, he can move to the edge and create more packages for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to use as the season progresses.
It’s a move that may not have been possible if Dexter didn’t play a key role in the Bears’ win on Monday night and could create a beautiful situation going forward.