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Chicago Bears first-year head coach Ben Johnson has essentially no experience with the defensive side of the ball, which is part of the reason he brought in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Johnson is now responsible for every phase of the football team as head coach, though. A longtime offensive assistant, Johnson hired Allen to help lead the defense this season. But the Chicago defense has not been good this year, despite leading the NFL in takeaways this season. The Bears’ defense has struggled in several key areas this season: They’ve surrendered 5.3 yards per carry, ranking 30th in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a 98.6 passer rating, 21st in the league. Despite Montez Sweat’s presence, the pass rush has produced just 14 sacks, 25th overall. In the red zone, opponents are scoring touchdowns on 64% of their trips, also 25th in the NFL. The defensive struggles came to a head last game when backup quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley and the Baltimore Ravens put up 30 points on the Bears. Ben Johnson Talks Working With Dennis Allen and the Defense Johnson addressed his role with the defense and working with Allen at press availability on Friday. “(Allen) and I, we spend a lot of time together,” Johnson said. “I’m not necessarily in their install meetings because I’m a little more involved with the offense in their install meetings. Where we are now in the season, it’s a little more focus on the offense and making sure that side of the ball is good. “(Allen) has a great grasp on his system, so I’m not gonna micromanage that. He’s done it at a high level for a long time and that’s part of the reason he came here.” Allen is in his 15th season as a coordinator or head coach. The Bears struck the right balance in 2018, pairing offensive-minded head coach Matt Nagy with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Although Johnson has expressed letting Allen do his thing, he is also prepared to interject himself when needed. “I’ve got ideas that I’ll spit ball,” Johnson said, adding that Allen will sometimes implement the idea or not. “It’s good for my education as well, it helps me grow as a coach,” Johnson said. “I’m there to help support and I do like to challenge occasionally and learn.” “I do think the longer I’m in this role, the more in tune in bringing all three phases together so that we can play complimentary football.” Bears Have a Chance to Make a Statement on Sunday Against the Bengals Turnovers often come down to luck, and counting on three or four of them isn’t a reliable strategy when the Bears (4-3) visit the Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) on Sunday. With quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve, Cincinnati turned to veteran Joe Flacco, who hasn’t thrown an interception or lost a fumble in his three starts. If Flacco can’t go because of the sprained AC joint in his shoulder that sidelined him all week, the Bears’ chances of generating takeaways improve against Jake Browning — who has thrown eight interceptions — though head coach Zac Taylor will likely structure his game plan to limit those risks. The Bears can’t depend on turnovers. Their best path is to shut down the run and force Flacco or Browning into third-and-long situations. It’s not a complicated formula, but it’s effective — and it plays to one of their strengths. Chicago ranks second in the NFL on third down, allowing conversions on just 31.9% of attempts.
