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Why the Bears’ offense might have an edge over the Seahawks’ defense | Chicago Sports Tonight
Cassie Carlson and Devan Kaney recap Wednesday’s practice at Halas Hall and look ahead to the Bears’ MNF showdown with the Seahawks.
Ryan Poles did it.
The Chicago Bears swung for the fences at the NFL trade deadline. At a moment where they could separate themselves from the rest of the NFC, the Bears landed star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans.
Coach Ben Johnson talked about general manager Ryan Poles’ quest to improve the roster as early as Wednesday.
"We have constant dialogue of what this team needs and where we can impact ourselves not just this year but years in the future as well," Johnson said. "He's turning over every stone that he possibly can to improve this football team just like he has ever since I've gotten in this building and I feel really good about our process. We'll see what happens."
Landing a player that can change the complexion their defensive line is a good process. Simmons lands on a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
On paper, Simmons fits like a piece of the puzzle the Bears were looking for all offseason long.
Beyond that, the Bears get a player that can anchor their defensive line for the years to come.
Here's how Simmons fits with the Bears.
By the numbers:
It’s not hyperbole to say Simmons is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL.
According to any metric out there, he’s disruptive in the run game and can pressure the quarterback at a high rate. He had a career-high 11 sacks last season for a struggling Titans team.
He now comes to Chicago, reuniting with college teammate Montez Sweat, sage veteran Grady Jarrett and rising pass rusher Austin Booker, among others. The Bears get an experienced player in Simmons that’s only gotten better as the years have gone by.
According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons has recorded 20, 24 pressures and four sacks this season, which ranks first in run stops, third in total pressures and fifth in sacks at his position.
Of all the interior defensive lineman, Simmons’ 41.5 sacks as an interior tackle rank second only to the Chiefs’ Chris Jones’ 47.5.
That’s a dominant player.
He’s now leading the Chicago Bears’ charge.
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Super Bowl favorites? What to make of the Chicago Bears trading for Jeffrey Simmons
The Bears made a splash with a blockbuster trade for Jeffrey Simmons. Devan Kaney joined to make sense of the move and what it means for the Bears.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen likes to be aggressive. Putting Simmons into his repertoire gives him more of a reason to be just as aggressive or even more.
Sweat missed two games with a suspension from the NFL for using performance-enhancing drugs. In Sweat’s absence, the Bears saw nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon garner four sacks in two games. Reserve pass rusher Daniel Hardy and rookie safety Dillon Thieneman also recorded 1.5 sacks each in those two games, too.
"I’d like to highlight Daniel Hardy. I think he's done as good of a job as anybody affecting the passer in these last two weeks, and a guy that certainly warrants a little bit more playing time on defense as well," Johnson said. "When you combine Booker's impact to get to the quarterback with Hardy and then the pressure package that (Dennis Allen) DA likes to put in there, hopefully we can get ‘Tez singled up a little bit more for one-on-one to where his pass rusher ability can come to the forefront."
It’s an expensive price to pay, sending two first-round picks. But, those two first-round picks could have been anything. They could even have been a Simmons-type player.
The Bears now have Simmons. Sitting at 5-2, they answered multiple questions about their defensive line with one move.
Big picture view:
Bears fans have seen this film before. They didn’t like the ending.
The Bears traded two first-round picks for Khalil Mack before the 2018 season. Mack ended up being a difference-maker immediately, and was one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
This one is a bit different.
The Bears paid Mack a massive contract after trading for him. Simmons does not require that kind of money. The Titans inked Simmons to a team friendly extension this past offseason. Simmons' contract made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL but carried two years of guaranteed money. He's under contract for 4 years, meaning the Bears can move on from him after the 2027 season without any dead cap money.
The Bears got Simmons in a move that lands arguably the best defensive tackle in the league on a team friendly deal.
There’s more to it than just money, too.
The Bears traded for Mack hoping Mitch Trubisky would be the quarterback of the future for the franchise. It didn’t pan out that way.
The Bears know Caleb Williams is their franchise quarterback. He led them to an NFC North title, won a playoff game over the Packers and had the Bears on the doorstop of the NFC Championship game.
The head coach and quarterback are in place this time around.
The Bears are hoping that means it’s a much different ending.
The Source: Analysis is from FOX Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski, who covers the Bears regularly.