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After the Whistle: Immediate thoughts on the Bears' defense in a 26-14 win
Four turnovers, four sacks and 44 rushing yards allowed. The Bears defense led the way Sunday. Lou, Jim, Pat and Tina breakdown what they saw.
It was already a ridiculous run for the Chicago Bears’ defense.
They forced 11 turnovers in their last three games. Their last vs. Washington – Nahshon Wright hopping on a fumble that led to a game-winning field goal – was as dramatic as they came.
Sunday, it somehow got better.
The Bears forced four more turnovers on Sunday in their win over the New Orleans Saints. Nahshon Wright, Tremaine Edmunds and Kevin Byard all got interceptions on Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. Montez Sweat also got a strip sack on Rattler, too.
When it was all said and done at Soldier Field on Sunday, the Saints doubled their turnover count in 2025.
"We’re definitely building off momentum, building off people making big plays," Sweat said. "When you see somebody make a play, you want to make one too.
The Bears’ turnover-first defense is proving to be one of the most dangerous in the league. Sunday was just the next step in establishing that identity.
What we know:
Bears defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator Al Harris was posed with the question last Thursday: Are the Bears finding the ball, or is the ball finding the Bears?
It’s a bit of both, Harris said.
The Bears’ secondary can’t control when a pass comes their way, or a running play is called in a certain direction. But, they can be prepared to move when the ball comes their way.
"You got the receiver covered. Alright, you might have made a breakup or the guy might have caught a ball and you’re saying ‘good coverage," Harris said Thursday. "If you've got a ball mindset, you’re covering these guys but once the ball is in the air, it’s ‘I'm going to get the football now.’ That's where it comes to life."
Harris has seemingly found a way to incorporate existential philosophies into modern-day football.
Rene Descartes’ Principle of "I think, therefore I am" talks about realizing one’s own existence. This is what Harris believes about turnovers, too.
If you don’t think about them and visualize them, then they won’t happen.
"I truly believe that, I live by that, I coach by that," Harris said. "As a mindset, you could say turnovers are coming in bunches, but if you're not thinking about them, you're not going to get them. It's not going to happen."
Now, turnovers are just expected from all parts of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.
"We've got a method in place of how we want to practice it," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. "Dennis does a great job with instilling that confidence in those guys, putting them in the right spot. When the ball touches their hands, they're coming down with it."
Big picture view:
In the first quarter, the Bears were up 6-0. They were stringing together success on offense, but not enough to get into the end zone.
They needed some extra juice. Nahshon Wright provided that.
Wright’s interception at the 11:20 mark of the second quarter
"I just kind of undercut the dig, made a diving interception," Wright said. "I wish I would've scored. I kind of lost where I was at in relation to the sideline. But hey, I take it."
So will the Bears. They’re taking away the ball at a historic clip. It’s so good, it covers up some of the offensive struggles the Bears have had, especially on this past Sunday.
The Bears want to see this trend continue. It’s a culmination of how far the defense has come since that Week 2 rout at the hands of the Lions.
Every part of the team needs an identity. The Bears have found their identity in forcing turnovers. They have playmakers all over the defense and the coaching staff has found ways to energize them with friendly competition and healthy practice habits.
"Everybody wants to be the guy to make that play," Edmunds said.
As the Bears turn the page on New Orleans, they’re now finding out the expectations for their defense.
That expectation is grounded in turnovers. It’s the Bears’ strength. Sunday was proof of it, and the team wants to set realistic expectations for how many turnovers they can force in a game.
The last three games have provided that answer.
"Four’s the magic number right now," Wright said.