The 2024 Chicago Bears were many things, but stout defensively was not one of them. Enter: new head coach Ben Johnson and, more importantly in that regard, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Johnson spent three years as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator before moving on to Chicago this offseason. He can certainly help by keeping the offense on the field longer.
However, Allen has been charged with restoring what has historically been a Bears staple.
Bears DC Dennis Allen Right Hire for Ideal Fit
Dennis Allen’s Strengths Match Bears’ Needs & Vice Versa
Allen spent three years as the New Orleans Saints’ HC. He has another three years in the big chair with the then-Oakland Raiders. But the bulk of his career has been spent coaching defense, including eight years as a defensive coordinator for the Saints and Denver Broncos.
Focusing on his stint with the Saints, since it is his largest single sample size, Allen’s defenses have ranked 10th against the run and 20th against the pass on average.
His unit’s run defense rankings are hindered by a 31st-place finish in his first season.
Similarly, his passing defense gets a boost from a fifth-place finish in 2020. That was his second-to-last season in that role before moving up to the head coaching vacancy created when Sean Payton, now of the Denver Broncos, stepped down.
The Bears ranked 16th against the pass despite having various injury and, even more, communication breakdowns in their secondary.
They were 28th against the run, with Andrew Billings’ season-ending injury a big factor.
The Bears’ 27th-ranked total defense was their second-worst finish since the 2014 season. It is only better than their mark in 2022, when they ranked 29th. Those marks are even more egregious given that they occurred under a defensive-oriented head coach in Matt Eberflus.
Even when the Bears led the league in interceptions and were fifth in takeaways in 2023, they were 25th against the pass.
The key was their top-ranked run defense.
Some of that was surely a function of their porousness on the backend that season. Still, the formula fits what Allen has done in his career. Meanwhile, the Bears are arguably as talented in the secondary as any unit Allen has coached. They also bolstered their front with Grady Jarrett in free agency.
Dennis Allen’s Experience Good for Ben Johnson
Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen speaks with general manager Ryan Poles as head coach Ben Johnson watches practice. Mandatory credit: Clocker Sports
Health will be a significant factor in the Bears’ success on both sides of the ball, just as it will be for every team in the league. On paper, though, Allen and the Bears look like a hand-and-glove fit.
Allen’s head coaching career includes working with former No. 1 overall pick Carson Palmer and Derek Carr, the brother of one of the more polarizing top picks in recent history, David Carr.
He is also a fine sounding board for Johnson, who is a rookie in his position.
The Bears have a mix of veteran and younger coaches in new roles. That makes Allen’s presence even more critical, especially given the different experiences that figures like him, running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, etc., have seen.
