Bears' defense on the spot in rare supporting role in playoffs vs. Packers
- Mark Potash
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Like Jay Cutler before him, former Bears cornerback Jerry Azumah provided a public service announcement for Bears fans this week on Twitter before the Bears’ wild-card playoff game against the Packers on Saturday at Soldier Field: “When the Bears Offense is on the field, please be quiet so they can work!
That any Bears fans have to be reminded of this is an indictment of the Bears’ woeful history of offensive football, of course. But it’s also a positive sign. Under Ben Johnson, the Bears’ have an offense that makes this advice relevant. The Bears were sixth in the NFL in total yards this season — their highest ranking in a playoff appearance since 1977, when NFL MVP Walter Payton was just about the entire offense.
The flip side is that for the first time in almost any current Bears’ fans lifetime, the opposite is true. The Bears’ defense makes you nervous. This defense struggles to stop the run (27th in the NFL), stop the pass (22nd), rush the passer (21st) or hold on third down (21st). And they give up the big play — 26 pass plays of 30 or more yards, second most in the NFL.
That’s a new world for Bears fans as well. The defense has always been the Bears’ best hope in the playoffs. In fact, the Bears’ defense has ranked in the top 10 for every playoff appearance (14 of them) since 1979, except for the 2020 Covid season, when the Bears were a non-threatening seventh-seed participant at 8-8, ranking 14th in total defense.
Under new coordinator Dennis Allen, the 2025 Bears rank 23rd in scoring defense and 29th in total defense. In fact, the Bears are the only team in the bottom 15 in scoring defense this season to make the postseason. They’ve survived on their knack for takeaways — an NFL-leading 33, including an NFL-leading 23 interceptions, with two pick-6s.
But that can be a tough trump card to play in the postseason. The Packers had 13 turnovers in the regular season — third fewest in the NFL. The Bears are vulnerable when they’re not taking the ball away — 0-2 when they have zero takeaways and 2-6 when they have fewer than two.
But here’s another difference this year: The Bears defense doesn’t have to win this game. It just can’t lose it. The onus is on the offense to make the difference. The defense allowed the Lions to control the clock (35:45-24:15) and gave up 433 yards last week, but was effective in the red zone, allowed 19 points and had the fourth-quarter takeaway that gave the offense a chance to do it’s job and win the game.
“[It’s about] consistency … and getting off the field on third down. That’s probably the biggest issue we’ve had,” Allen said. “We’ve played some really good offenses the last couple weeks. And yet last week, we held [the Lions] to 19 points. Ultimately, that’s what the goal is — to limit points and give yourself a chance to win.”
If cornerback Kyler Gordon returns as expected after missing five games with a groin injury, the Bears will be playing with Gordon and cornerback Jaylon Johnson for only the second time this season. The only other game they played together, the Bears held the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles to 15 points, allowed 317 yards, 5.1 yards per play and 4-of-12 third-down conversions, and let the offense take care of the rest in a 24-15 victory.
Sounds like a plan.