Nearly 60 NFL players have more sacks than the Bears originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears front office spent some time and money retooling their defensive line this offseason.
Most notably, they brought in Yannick Ngakoue on a one-year deal. They also drafted Zacch Pickens and Gervon Dexter Jr. after signing Andrew Billings and DeMarcus Walker in free agency.
Unfortunately, they are far and away the worst group in the NFL. Currently, 59 players have more sacks than the Bears this season. Yes, you read that right. It isn’t a hard benchmark to surpass, either. The Bears have one sack so far this season.
Currently 59 NFL players have more sacks than the entire Bears team.
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) September 27, 2023
That’s abysmal.
Last season, it was the same story. While no player single-handedly finished higher than the team, the Bears earned the lowest number of sacks in the league with a paltry 20 takedowns. The Eagles, for contrasting purposes, led the league with 70 sacks, 50 more than the Bears.
No player finished higher than the Bears last season. But some came close. Nick Bosa recorded 18.5 sacks on his own last season. Four other players — Myles Garrett, Hasson Reddick, Chris Jones and Matthew Judon — came within five sacks of the Bears’ team total.
This issue isn’t entirely on the players. Matt Eberflus has made it clear through his coaching that he doesn’t have an affinity for blitzing. The Bears own a league-low 9% pressure rate this season, rarely blitzing the quarterback. They also play zone defense 70% of the time.
The Bears’ inability to put pressure on the quarterback is exposing other areas of their defense, too. That lack of pressure has led to Edmunds and Edwards being picked on in coverage. Per Next Gen Stats, quarterbacks targeting Edmunds and Edwards are 25-for-27 for 234 yards and two touchdowns in three games.
Something needs to change. Personnel and scheme are at the forefront of adjustments needed for the front seven.
