Through two weeks of play, the Chicago Bears' defense had provided fans with far more concerns than highlights after allowing 78 points in losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. These struggles led veteran defenders Jaquan Brisker and Grady Jarrett to hold a players-only meeting (h/t @adamjahns) so that the defense could address the issues they're facing as a unit and collectively work towards a solution.
Although it has only been one week since that meeting, the early returns are looking quite positive as the defense looked vastly improved in Sunday's 31-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, the Bears did allow Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to throw for 275 yards in the win; however, the Bears' defense made impact plays throughout the game, finishing the win with three interceptions and two sacks to limit Dallas' offensive upside.
Players-Only Meeting Leads Bears' Defense to Turnaround vs. Cowboys
Following Sunday's much-needed win, Brisker met with the media and explained why he felt the players-only meeting was necessary this early in the season. As Brisker put it, he and his teammates on that side of the ball had to collectively get everything off their chests before the group could move forward and achieve the goals they had for themselves entering the 2025 campaign.
“We’re talking about being the best defense in Bears’ history and in the league top-five — you can’t give up 50 points,” Brisker said, via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We had to get everything off our chest and be on the same page.”
If Chicago's defense has lofty goals like that in mind, then they couldn't have called the players-only meeting at a better time. The Bears looked like a completely different animal when the defense was on the field, and not only were they forcing turnovers and getting after the quarterback, but they clamped down in crunch time and did not allow the Dallas offense to score a single point over the final two quarters.
When you compare this to what fans saw in Week 1 during their loss to the Vikings, or the beatdown they suffered at the hands of the Lions in Week 2, it is a night-and-day difference. Now, fans know the Bears are capable of playing at a dominant level. This is the type of effort that needs to be brought to the table week in and week out from this point forward.
Despite their 1-2 record, Sunday's performance is the type that brings confidence to a team, and the Bears will have to bring that same approach and effort to the field throughout the next 14 games. Fortunately, the Bears' upcoming schedule features plenty of winnable matchups, beginning with a Week 4 road showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.