LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — When Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen accepted his position in January, he was intrigued by the personnel he was about to work with.
Allen praised the talent of Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, linebacker T.J. Edwards and defensive end Montez Sweat. But two games into the regular season, the Bears are off to a dismal 0-2 start, Allen’s vision hasn't been executed and his defense is plagued by injuries.
Johnson has taken the field for just 20 plays in two games. He reinjured his groin in Chicago's 52-21 loss at Detroit on Sunday and could be sidelined for the rest of the season. Gordon suffered a hamstring injury in the final practice before the season opener on Sept. 8 and has missed the first two games, so Allen had to toss out the parts of the game plan involving him. Edwards missed the season opener and was on the field for 30 plays Sunday before reaggravating his hamstring injury.
Then there’s Sweat, who’s healthy but without a sack in two contests. He has been a far cry of the player the Bears envisioned when giving him a $98.5-million contract.
On Sunday, the Bears were gashed by the Lions. The 52 points they surrendered were the most they'd allowed in a game since 2014. The 511 yards they surrendered were the most they'd allowed in a regulation-length game since 2013.
The 52-year-old Allen isn’t one to make excuses, but this isn’t the defense he hoped to be running.
"There’s no question about it, when you have significant players that are missing times, it’s challenging,” Allen said. “And yet that’s why we do what we do, that’s why we’re at the highest level of this profession, is to figure out solutions, figure out ways to get the job done. Really, 90% of the world doesn't give a – care about your problems, the other 10% are glad you got them.
“We just come in every night and go to work, try to put a good plan together, try to utilize our guys the best we can, put them in good positions to make plays. Hopefully, we’ll go out and do that this week."
It’s hard to imagine a turnaround is coming for the Bears defense this Sunday, when the Cowboys (1-1) visit Soldier Field. Dallas has scored a combined 60 points in its first two games, and quarterback Dak Prescott is off to a strong start.
The Cowboys will have an advantage on the outside as star receiver CeeDee Lamb and talented receiver George Pickens will line up against Bears cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Nahshon Wright, who have each struggled in coverage in the first two games.
The Bears don't have any good options to replace Stevenson or Wright at cornerback. In addition to Johnson and Gordon being out, Terell Smith is on injured reserve with a knee injury after playing solid football in 26 games across the past two seasons. Josh Blackwell and Jaylon Jones have been set back by injuries as well.
Making matters more difficult for the Bears secondary is that Chicago has registered just 12 quarterback pressures in two games, putting it in the bottom one-third of the NFL.
There has been no "Tez Effect," as former coach Matt Eberflus called it, but it’s hard to blame just Sweat for the defensive front's struggles.
The Bears need steadier production from defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who signed a three-year, $48-million contract this offseason. Defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett need to be more disruptive in the interior. Behind them, rookie defensive lineman Shemar Turner, a second-round pick in April, hasn't earned the coaching staff's trust yet. He was a healthy scratch in Chicago's loss at Detroit on Sunday.
The struggles fall on Bears general manager Ryan Poles, whose roster lacks top-end talent and depth in his fourth season in Chicago. A defense that was Poles’ initial priority on the job still hasn't taken shape, and injuries have exposed what the Bears really are on that side of the ball.
The challenge is steep, but there's still time for the Bears to turn it around. The 2023 Broncos allowed a combined 164 points in a four-game span early that season, including 70 points in a disastrous loss in Miami.
Led by head coach Sean Payton in his first season in Denver, the Broncos established a defensive identity and went 7-4 after a 1-5 start. Maybe Allen and the Bears can turn around their defense as well, but they have a long, long ways to go to fix this mess.
Emma's pick (1-1): Cowboys 27, Bears 24
Caleb Williams and the Bears offense will have the opportunity to move the football as two teams with struggling defenses square off. But Dak Prescott is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL, and he and the Cowboys will pull out the win in Chicago.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.