The Chicago Bears will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, where Chicago is looking to rebound after an embarrassing showing in Week 1. And there will be some changes on defense for the Bears.
Head coach Matt Eberflus announced that he will call defensive plays against the Bucs because defensive coordinator Alan Williams won’t make the trip to Tampa because of personal reasons.
“With the defense up, I’ll be making the calls,” Eberflus said.
Williams wasn’t at practice Thursday and Friday because of what the team called personal reasons. Eberflus doesn’t have a timeline for when Williams could return.
#Bears DC Alan Williams won't travel to Tampa because of personal reasons. Matt Eberflus will call plays.
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 15, 2023
With Eberflus stepping in for Williams, it’ll be interesting to see what changes…if anything. Last week, the Bears struggled to generate pressure on Packers quarterback Jordan Love, making just his second NFL start. Chicago didn’t blitz the young quarterback, and he had all day in the pocket to shred the secondary.
In nine of the last 11 games under Williams, the Bears’ defense has allowed 28-plus points. We’ll see if that changes Sunday against a Bucs offense that didn’t light the world on fire in Week 1.