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Fast Start a Strong Possibility for Chicago Bears Pass Rush

A change in the recent trend for the Chicago Bears season opener could lead to a fast start for their revamped pass rush.

A change in the recent trend for the Chicago Bears season opener could lead to a fast start for their revamped pass rush. There have been many questions that popped up over the off-season. From who will be under center Week 1 against the Detroit Lions to who will start at cornerback opposite Kyle Fuller. We did get answers to those questions (Mitchell Trubisky and Jaylon Johnson, respectively) but one aspect of this team was never in question.

Fast Start Real Possibility for Bears

Old Faithful

Defense is far less predictable than offense. At least that is how the adage goes. But in Chicago, a stout defense is the norm and offense is the elusive piece of the puzzle. This is a franchise that has been top-10 in points scored just three times and yards just once since 2000. They were in the top-10 in those categories defensively eight and six times, respectively.

But there were cracks. A hole at strong safety and right cornerback had many feeling anxious. Who knows if Tashaun Gipson and Johnson can calm the waters there. Then Eddie Goldman opted out due to COVID concerns.

Still, with Khalil Mack in tow, your defense already has an important piece. But Mack has far too often been the sole source of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This was especially true last year when Akiem Hicks (seven-plus sacks for three years straight from 2016-2018) went down early in the season with an elbow injury. The result was Mack’s fewest sacks and his first time recording single-digit sacks since his rookie season.

A Solution

Chicago’s remedy was moving on from the disappointing Leonard Floyd and bringing in Robert Quinn. He arrives after a successful year with the Dallas Cowboys that saw him register 11.5 sacks. It was his first double-digit sack campaign since 2014 with the Rams, who were still in St. Louis by the way.

Quinn’s addition has been lauded despite his seemingly lackluster performances the four years before 2019. That’s because the advanced metrics love him. Quinn has led the NFL in Pass Rush Win Rate the last two seasons, even though he was double-teamed more than most.

ESPN, who haven’t been kind to the Bears this off-season, was very complimentary, saying, “Quinn turns 30 this summer, but the veteran edge rusher is one of the league’s most underrated players. In his only season with Dallas, Quinn racked up 11.5 sacks (eighth among edge rushers), 72 pass-rush wins (third), and a 21.5% pass-rush win rate (first) in 2019. He has reached 8.5 sacks all five seasons in which he played at least 600 snaps.”

Mack was second in hurries and seventh in pressures. Even without the gaudy sack totals, he had a big impact. Combine that with Quinn’s presence and you can see why there is excitement for this group before even factoring in the attention Hicks will demand, freeing up Mack and Quinn.

Perfect Tuneup

In a break from the last two years, the Bears will not take on their most-hated foe, the Green Bay Packers, in the season opener. Instead, they will face a Detroit Lions team trying to start hot themselves. Fortunately for Bears fans, Chicago has beaten Detroit four straight times. Now, he missed both meetings between the two last season but went 0-2 against the Bears in 2018.

Matthew Stafford does have a winning record against the Bears. He also has one of the best receiving duos at his disposal in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. Before 2018, they also had won three straight against the Bears and had a six-game streak of wins before that.

What they don’t have is a steady ground attack to balance out their passing game. This remains true even with the signing of Adrian Peterson to deal with D’Andre Swift’s injury and Kerryon Johnson’s injury history.

Put another way, Detroit was just below the 2019 league average of 26.1 carries per game at 25.9 in their last four matchups with the Bears. But they were over the average number pass attempts of 34.9 with a 41 attempt per game average. They move the ball a particular way and that plays right into the Bears hands, regardless of the recent history between the teams.

Trench Warfare

Brandon Thorn of Establish the Run ranks the Lions offensive line 23rd in the NFL. Coincidentally, that’s one spot above where their Chicago counterpart came in. But that should be troubling for offensive line coach Hank Fraley. Here’s what Thorn had to say about Detroit, even with the addition of Halapoulivaati Vaitai:

“On paper and based on prior performance, this looks like an average unit at best and most likely below average until the legitimate question marks on the right side can be answered. It will be interesting to see the impact a new line coach in Fraley has on their development,…”

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranks the Bears pass-rushing duo of Mack and Quinn as the third-best in the NFL saying, “Quinn may or may not replicate his 2019 production, but DEs can age well. The obvious X-factor here is Mack, whose raw tenacity simply cannot be matched. He alone is the reason Chicago ranks above more balanced pairings in Dallas and L.A.”

Football Outsiders ranked Detroit’s line 19th in pass protection. That ineffectiveness is amplified by their passing volume. Finishing 20th in sacks allowed just reinforces the opportunity that exists for the Bears pass rush to get out of the blocks quickly.

Fast Start Coming for Bears Pass Rush

A 1-0 start would help ease some tensions over the off-season. Hopefully, the combination of Mack and Quinn (and Hicks) can turn the pressure the Lions line gives up into sacks. Otherwise, a Bears secondary in transition could be in for a long day dealing with Stafford.

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Embed from Getty Images

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