While the Bears defense encountered expected regression in 2019, they were still a top-five unit with a ton of talent and a bright future. The Bears secondary was led by a pair of Pro Bowlers in cornerback Kyle Long and safety Eddie Jackson. But how do they stack up against the rest of the NFL?
Pro Football Focus examined the performances of defensive backfields throughout the NFL, and the Bears landed at No. 12.
The Chicago Bears are a prime example of how teams can experience fluctuations in pass coverage from year to year. This year’s 12th-ranked 76.6 coverage grade is a significant decline from last year’s first-place mark (95.7) that was accompanied by a league-leading 27 interceptions. With only 10 picks in 2019, Prince Amukamara, Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson were all returning starters from the 2018 group with only Ha Ha Clinton Dix serving in his first year with the team.
Last season, the Bears’ defense forced the second-most incompletions (69), but that total fell to just a 29th-ranked 38 in 2019. There is plenty of room for encouragement here, though, as the Bears continued to perform well enough to allow the fourth-fewest touchdown passes (17), which were five fewer than the 22 they allowed during their stellar 2018 season.
The main criticism of the Bears defense this season was the drop-off in takeaways, particularly in interceptions. After a league-best 27 interceptions in 2018, Chicago’s defensive backs managed less than half with 10. Fuller led the team with three interceptions, Jackson and Clinton-Dix had two picks and Amukamara had none.
Still, there’s definitely optimism surrounding the Bears secondary moving forward, especially after Chicago locked down All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson to a long term extension.
But adding depth at cornerback and safety is going to be a top priority for the Bears this offseason, especially with Amukamara and Clinton-Dix’s futures in Chicago in doubt.
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