Tag: Bears defense

Twitter reacts to Bears DC Chuck Pagano’s retirement

Bears fans had plenty to say about news of Chuck Pagano retiring after serving as Chicago’s defensive coordinator for two years.

The first domino of the 2021 Chicago Bears offseason fell on Tuesday evening when it was reported that defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano will be retiring at age 60 after spending 20 years in the NFL.

Pagano, who spent the last two seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator, took over for Vic Fangio when he accepted a head coaching position with the Denver Broncos. The former Indianapolis Colts head coach inherited a talented unit led by players such as outside linebacker Khalil Mack, defensive end Akiem Hicks, and safety Eddie Jackson.

In two seasons, the Bears defense regressed under Pagano and did not live up the standards set back in 2018. While they didn’t bottom out, they failed to build on their previous success and teams were able to beat the schemes put in place despite having multiple Pro Bowlers at his disposal.

When the news came out, Bears fans had plenty to say on Twitter:

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Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is retiring

The Bears will be on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator for the second time in three years as Chuck Pagano is retiring.

The Chicago Bears will be in the market for a new defensive coordinator this offseason for the second time in three years.

According to Ian Rapoport and Chuck Pagano, Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano has decided to retire.

Pagano served as Chicago’s defensive coordinator over the past two seasons, where his defense ranked among the top 10 in the league. But considering this was the NFL’s top defense under Vic Fangio in 2018, Pagano’s unit fell short of expectations.

Whether it’s Matt Nagy that will be the one deciding on Pagano’s replacement remains to be seen as there’s still some uncertainty about the fates of Nagy, general manager Ryan Pace and president Ted Phillips.

Although, according to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, it sounds like the expectation is that Pace and Nagy will be retained in 2021.

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S Tashaun Gipson was Bears’ highest-graded player vs. Saints

The Bears did a decent job containing the Saints for most of the game, and Tashaun Gipson was the Bears’ highest-graded player by PFF.

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The Chicago Bears couldn’t overcome self-inflicted mistakes to defeat the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card round, and now Chicago is facing a long offseason with important questions left to be answered.

Several of those concern the defense, which actually did a decent job of containing the Saints’ offense for most of the game. One of the players that stood out was safety Tashaun Gipson, who made several plays to keep Chicago in the game.

Gipson was the Bears’ highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus, notching a 87.4 overall grade. He allowed just one catch on four targets in coverage for 11 yards. Gipson was all around the ball, recording two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

The Bears signed Gipson to a one-year deal back in April, and he was a solid safety alongside Eddie Jackson this season. Gipson had two interceptions, which tied with linebacker Roquan Smith for a team-high.

This season, Gipson had 65 total tackles, seven passes defensed and two interceptions. Gipson is set to hit the open market this offseason.

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13 crazy stats from Bears’ 21-9 loss vs. Saints in wild-card round

Here are 13 crazy stats from the Bears’ 21-9 loss against the Saints in the wild-card playoffs.

The Chicago Bears suffered another early exit from the NFL postseason with a 21-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Perhaps most frustrating is that this game was a winnable one, and Chicago did what it does best: beat itself.

Here are 13 crazy stats from the Bears’ 21-9 loss against the Saints in the wild-card playoffs.

13 crazy stats from Bears’ 21-9 loss vs. Saints in wild-card round

Here are 13 crazy stats from the Bears’ 21-9 loss against the Saints in the wild-card playoffs.

The Chicago Bears suffered another early exit from the NFL postseason with a 21-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Perhaps most frustrating is that this game was a winnable one, and Chicago did what it does best: beat itself.

Here are 13 crazy stats from the Bears’ 21-9 loss against the Saints in the wild-card playoffs.

Bears vs. Saints game recap: Everything we know

The Bears exited the playoffs the same way they entered it, with a whimper. Chicago fell 21-9 to New Orleans in the wild-card round.

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The Chicago Bears exited the playoffs the same way they entered it, with a whimper. After stumbling into the seventh seed in the NFC — thanks to a pair of Arizona Cardinals losses — the Bears did what they’ve done all season long — they beat themselves in a 21-9 loss to the Saints.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this game was that it was winnable. If the Bears were any other team, they would’ve beaten the Saints. This game was right there for the taking, and Chicago reverted to the kind of play that will likely cost people jobs this offseason.

While the Bears’ defense rose to the challenge of containing the Saints’ offense, they eventually tired out as Chicago’s offense failed to mount anything more than a field goal in four quarters of play.

Matt Nagy led a team that was completely undisciplined and not prepared for this game, and it showed. Now, he — and general manager Ryan Pace — will await their fate as another Bears season ends in disappointing fashion.

5 storylines to watch as Bears face the Saints in wild-card round

The Bears will be playing their most game of the season in a wild-card showdown with the Saints. Here’s what to watch for.

The Chicago Bears are back in the postseason, where they’ll play the No. 2 seed New Orleans Saints in the wild-card round. This game will be a rematch from Week 8, when the Saints beat the Bears 26-23 in overtime. But plenty has changed since November.

No one is giving Chicago a chance to pull the upset of New Orleans. But crazier things have happened in the postseason, especially when it comes to the Saints.

Here are five storylines to watch as the Bears head into their wild-card game against the Saints.

Behind Enemy Lines Wild-Card Edition: 5 questions with Saints Wire

Before Sunday’s game, we caught up with managing editor John Sigler of Saints Wire to get the scoop on the Bears’ wild-card opponent.

The Chicago Bears will face off against the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card round of the 2020 NFL playoffs, where the Bears will be looking to pull off a huge upset.

The Bears are 10-point underdogs — the biggest underdogs of the wild-card round — and not many are giving them a chance to beat the Saints. But stranger things have happened in the postseason, so there’s always a chance.

Before the game, we caught up with managing editor John Sigler of Saints Wire to get the scoop on the Bears’ opponent.

Here are five questions with Saints Wire:

4 things the Bears need to do to beat the Packers in Week 17

While the Packers probably will win this game, there’s a chance that the Bears can actually shock the world with a win. Here’s how.

With a trip to the playoffs on the line, no one is giving the Chicago Bears a chance to defeat the Green Bay Packers in a pivotal Week 17 showdown. And while it’s true that the Packers should win this game, there’s a chance that the Bears can actually shock the world with a win.

But if that’s going to happen, this needs to be a collective effort — offense, defense, special teams, coaching — if Chicago is going to pull off the upset.

Here are four things the Bears need to do if they want to beat the Packers on Sunday.

3 bold predictions for Bears vs. Packers in Week 17

The Bears are looking to cap off an improbable run to the playoffs by defeating arguably the best team in the NFC vs. the Packers.

The only thing standing in the way of the Chicago Bears locking down a spot in the postseason is their arch rival, the Green Bay Packers. The 8-7 Bears welcome the 12-3 Packers to Soldier Field to close out the 2020 regular season.

While the Bears don’t necessarily need a victory to clinch a playoff spot if the Arizona Cardinals wind up losing to the Los Angeles Rams, a win would go a long way towards setting this team up for success in the wildcard round.

When the Bears traveled to Green Bay in late November, they were throttled 41-25, seemingly ending any possibilities of playing in the postseason as their losing streak extended to five games. But now winners of three in a row, they’ll look to cap off an improbable run to the playoffs by defeating arguably the best team in the NFC.

This is my most difficult game to predict, as anything can happen at this point. Here are my bold predictions for Sunday’s tilt.