Chicago Bear Defense …. What Happened?
It was only last year that the Chicago Bears were known as the most dominant defense in the NFL. Now, the 2-4 Bears look to be in trouble. In the last four games, they have given up at least 34 points. The only game they held their opponent to less was a win against the Packers 27-20. To get a perspective of how bad the once-vaunted Bear defense really is, take a look at these rankings versus the rest of the NFL:
Pass Defense:
Passing Yards: 27th
Yards Per Pass Attempt: 29th
Rush Defense:
Rush Attempts: 25th
Rush Yards: 28th
Rushing yards Per Carry: 26th
Rushing TDs: 29 th
Total Yardage Yielded: 30th
How did the Bears go from a 13-3 record and a defense in the top 11 in the NFL for all of the categories listed above to a defense in disrepair? The main reason is the mounting injuries. Bear starting defenders have missed a lot of game time in 2007. This is not an exhaustive list, but should give an indication of the valuable players who have missed time for the Bears this season:
Tommie Harris (knee), Nathan Vasher (groin), Adam Archuleta (hand), Lance Brings (hamstring), Darwin Walker (knee), Charles Tillman (ankle), Seth Payne (arm), Daniel Bazuin (knee), Mike Brown (knee), Dusty Dvoracek (knee), and Michael Okwo (shoulder).
Many of these players were starters and leaders of the Bear defense. Add Tank Johnson’s legal problems, with his subsequent release to the list, and now the Bears give up huge yardage on the ground. This defense looks like one on the decline. Many of the players listed above are ones that either are at the end of their career due to age or are incurred injury again in 2007 and it looks like rehab will be difficult to come back strong.
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