4 days ago
2
With just one week left in the regular season, the Chicago Bears defense has to get themselves right and eliminate the big plays that they've given up a lot of this season.
Chicago also has to get better against the run, where they've given up over 135 yards per game through this season, giving defensive coordinator Dennis Allen plenty of things to work on ahead of the team's playoff race.
Advertisement
After giving up 42 total points and nearly 500 yards of total offense in a Week 17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Allen knows his team has to have a bounce back performance against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. This week, Allen spoke about the team's need for an improved performance and where he wants to see the most growth.
"Each and every week, there's a ton of things that we want to try to improve on," Allen said. "And so, obviously I think winning the line of scrimmage is going to be a big part of trying to win this game. When you look at the quarterback and being able to affect him, there's a lot of max protection stuff, play actions, things designed to help protect him and keep that pocket clean for him. And when they're able to do that, they execute at a really high level. So, that'll be a challenge for us trying to win the line of scrimmage. I think a lot of what they do starts in the run game, being able to run the ball effectively. (Lions RB) Jahmyr Gibbs is a hell of a player. And, I think as he goes, when he's really rolling, I think their offense really rolls. So, that'll be a huge part of what we have to do.'
Getting the defense right with a tough test against the Detroit Lions could be the perfect recipe for Allen and the Bears defense on Sunday. Chciago's defense has had plenty of praise for their ability to create turnovers as they lead the league in interceptions and takeaways overall, but the chunk plays, high amount of points, and opposing rushing yards are all factors that need to be cleaned up in the regular-season finale.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears DC Dennis Allen on where defense needs to improve
English (US) ·