(670 The Score) Bears coach Matt Nagy learned a hard lesson two years ago when he passed on then-assistant Brandon Staley to become the team's new defensive coordinator, instead hiring veteran coach Chuck Pagano to fill the position.
The Bears' mistake wasn't hiring Pagano as much as it was passing on Staley, the Bears' outside linebackers coach from 2017-'18 and a bright defensive mind. After being overlooked, Staley left the Bears and proved himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL while working for the Rams this past season before recently being named the Chargers' new head coach.
While Staley has risen since he left Chicago, the Bears' defense has regressed. After Pagano announced his retirement at the end of this season, Nagy was tasked with hiring his third defensive coordinator in four years. His objective was to find a coordinator who could lead the defense back to its elite form.
With that in mind, Nagy promoted safeties coach Sean Desai to be the Bears' new defensive coordinator. Perhaps the hire wasn't the most natural promotion -- Desai had been a position coach for just two seasons after being a quality control coach for the six years prior -- but he was the candidate whom Nagy felt offered the greatest upside.
“He is a person of high football intelligence, extremely detail oriented, has a very strong work ethic and I cannot think of someone more deserving to lead our defense," Nagy said in a statement Friday. "Sean is a family man of high character and the respect he has within our building from coaches, players and staff is unparalleled.”
Desai's hiring as defensive coordinator is a success story that's meaningful to many who have worked with him in Halas Hall. But the challenge he faces in leading this Bears defense is great, and the opportunity won't last long if there isn't immediate success in 2021. Desai is tied to the fate of Nagy, who's returning for his fourth year but under scrutiny after back-to-back 8-8 regular seasons.
Desai faces some steep challenges in leading the Bears' defense. Let's break some of them down.
1.) Find that 2018 form
Former Bears outside linebacker Sam Acho was one of the biggest advocates calling for the team to hire Desai. So when news of Desai being promoted became public Friday afternoon, Acho took to Twitter.
"Expect more of what you saw in 2018 but (with) his own flavor," Acho wrote.
Identifying what the Bears did well in 2018 and implementing it back into their defense will be the most pressing task for Desai. In 2018, the Bears generated pressure on 26.7% of opposing quarterback dropbacks. It was part of why Chicago led the NFL with 36 takeaways while recording 50 sacks. The defense clicked from front to back.
This past season, the Bears recorded pressure on 21.8% of opposing quarterback dropbacks and had only 18 takeaways. Under Pagano's direction in the past two years, the Bears had a combined 37 takeaways -- just one more than their league-best 36 under Fangio's guidance in 2018.
While Desai has worked under three head coaches and defensive coordinators in Chicago, his philosophy is said to be in line with that of Vic Fangio, who was the Bears' defensive coordinator from 2015-'18. Fangio is a mastermind at creating pressure on the quarterback, and that's where this defense must improve in 2021.
Desai's primary objective will be to direct a Bears defense that can create more pressure and change games by forcing more turnovers.
2.) Bring BoJack back
In promoting Desai, the Bears elevated a coach who knows what makes two-time Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson click.
That's important for the Bears, who haven't seen Jackson play like a star in the last two seasons under Pagano. Jackson has just two interceptions over those 32 regular-season games, both coming on late-game heaves in 2019.
In other words, Jackson hasn't been the type of game-changing force in the Bears' secondary that he's capable of being. Part of that is because the Bears haven't positioned him well enough to make plays.
In 2018, Jackson had six interceptions and two pick-sixes while being targeted 54 times. He allowed an a 50% completion rate and was a dominant talent for Chicago. This past season, Jackson was targeted 46 times and allowed a 67.3% completion rate against. Jackson didn't record a single interception in 2020. While there were multiple drops he would want back, that number is glaring for the Bears and on the mind of Desai, who needs to set Jackson up for more game-changing opportunities.
3.) Create an edge
The Bears are financially tied to edge rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, as they have a large portion of their salary cap committed to the tandem through 2024.
The first season of the Mack-Quinn partnership was a major disappointment, with the two producing just 11 sacks combined. Mack posted nine of those sacks while battling through four different injuries this season. Quinn had a career-worst two sacks.
"I’m still shocked," Quinn said in late December. "I still can’t believe I had a season like I’ve had this year, but there’s no excuse."
The struggles of Mack and Quinn were amplified in part by Pagano's reluctance to dial up blitzes. It's now on Desai to generate more clean rushes for Mack and Quinn to get home by utilizing blitzes from the inside linebackers or the nickel corner.
Pagano was often too content in trusting the defensive front to get home. Desai needs to be more aggressive -- much the way Fangio was.
4.) Preserve what's there
After being a part of the Bears defense's rise, Desai will now be tasked with preventing its decline as its core ages.
Mack turns 30 in late February, and battling through injury has become commonplace for him. Quinn turns 31 in May and is under contract with the Bears for four more years. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is 31 and plays a physically demanding position. Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan turns 31 in late March and has an injury history that's concerning.
For Desai, the challenge will be keeping the core players fresh while identifying which young players can serve in rotations. The Bears defense has struggled to fill key voids at times, so Desai needs to find the right balance of relying on stars and finding solid contributors to spell them.
5.) Evolve the scheme
Desai is considered a bright football mind. Like Acho suggested, there will be a new flavor in his scheme.
The constant challenge for Desai will be to evolve the Bears' defensive identity, continuing to build off what Fangio created and countering the NFL's ever-changing offensive game.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.