Why the Chicago Bears defense reveled in playing with a lead: 'We don't stop'
CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears have a very good defense. It's not subjective or editorializing when saying that phrase.
The fans know this, the city knows it and even the players know it.
That's why it was jarring when the Bears went down 7-0 early on to the Carolina Panthers as Chubba Hubbard sliced through the heart of the Bears' defense for a 38-yard score.
"It just made us lock in," Bears' defensive back Stevenson said. "We noticed that we weren't in the right gaps. We noticed that we weren't in the right fits as corners and safeties and linebackers."
That lead didn't last too long. The Bears' offense drove down three minutes later and tied the game. The offense took the lead 14-7 on a Roschon Johnson touchdown run.
From there, it was a new game. The locked-in Bears' defense was playing with the lead in the first half for the first time this season.
With that lead, it allowed the Bears to get more aggressive on defense. This materialized in a three-turnover, four-sack and 10-quarterback hit day. The Bears were relentless in pressuring Panthers' quarterback Andy Dalton.
The Bears shifted that mentality late in the second quarter when Jaquan Brisker hit Carolina tight end Tommy Tremble and jarred the football loose. After that, they were stacking plays.
"It was more like, we don't stop now. We keep the ball rolling," Stevenson said. "They got seven points. We weren't supposed to give up that."
The Bears' offense scored 23 points in the second quarter. The defense helped, and in all, the Bears scored 16 points off three Carolina turnovers.
With that offensive support, the Bears' defense got a chance to just cause chaos and make life miserable for the Panthers.
Mission accomplished.
"When the offense scores on the other side of the ball, then we don't necessarily have as much pressure," Sweat said. "It also gives us a chance to peel our ears back and go pass rush."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 06: Gervon Dexter Sr. #99, Darrell Taylor #52, and DeMarcus Walker #95 of the Chicago Bears celebrate a fumble by the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Soldier Field on October 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (
That 30-7 halftime lead wasn't a sign for the Bears to relax, however. They didn't fear a comeback, though.
They just wanted to keep the pressure on because they knew they'd have their opportunities to make plays.
"When the score is like that, they're going to have to try to get the ball in the air," Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. said. "You got a lot of opportunities to rush the quarterback."
It was another big day for Dexter, too. He had a sack and a whopping four quarterback hits.
His sack came in the first quarter, as he celebrated his birthday as only a defensive lineman could.
"That was one of my goals for the week," Dexter said. "Everybody asked me what I was doing for my birthday. I was telling them I'm going to get a sack."
Dexter did what he said he was going to do. The Bears' defense followed suit.
After that first-quarter touchdown, the Bears allowed just three more points the entire game. They didn't even let up when Carolina and back up quarterback Bryce Young drove to the Bears' red zone.
They held the Carolina offense out of the end zone. It was a matter of principle, at that point.
The Bears' defense wants to be great. It will always take the opportunity to show opposing offenses how talented they are. Even if they're up 26 points in a game that's already decided.
"It could be 99-7," Stevenson said. "We're still going to push hard to go out there and be the defense we know we are."