Column: Montez Sweat’s impact on the Chicago Bears defense — especially against the pass — is undeniable

Montez Sweat has made an impact on the Chicago Bears — and pretty quickly.

If the Bears can surge defensively over the final five games, beginning with Sunday’s rematch against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field, it might bolster a case for coach Matt Eberflus to keep his job.

What’s undeniable is the Bears, who played well against the run at the start of the season but didn’t do much else well defensively, have improved since the arrival of Sweat, who was acquired in an Oct. 31 trade with the Washington Commanders for a second-round draft pick.

The defense enters Week 14 tied for first in the league against the run (79 yards per game) and has been better in nearly every category in the four games since Sweat came on board. The sample size is small and the competition hasn’t been elite — the Bears (4-8) have faced quarterbacks Derek Carr, Bryce Young, Jared Goff and Josh Dobbs — but they didn’t make the schedule, and it has been more than just a subtle uptick for the pass defense.

In the first eight games the Bears defense had a 69.7% opponent completion percentage, allowed 269.9 passing yards per game, 7.34 yards per attempt, 17 touchdowns and a 101.6 passer rating and had 10 sacks, 34 quarterback hits, 31 passes defensed and six interceptions.

In four games with Sweat, the defense has improved in each of those categories: 65.7% opponent completion percentage, 205 passing yards per game, 5.86 yards per attempt, six touchdowns, 74.7 passer rating, seven sacks, 28 passes defensed and seven interceptions.

The defense is allowing nearly 65 fewer passing yards per game, while pressure is way up as well as takeaways, with the Bears intercepting Goff three times in Week 11 in Detroit and Dobbs four times in Week 12 in Minneapolis.

It looks like a totally different defense for Eberflus, and while it would be a mistake to say Sweat has made a huge difference, it is evidence he can be the multiplier general manager Ryan Poles hoped when he traded for the edge rusher and secured him with a four-year, $98 million extension.

We can acknowledge improvements and note areas of concern — the defense ranks 30th on third down at 46.1% and 32nd in the red zone at 75% — while understanding moves need to be made in the offseason to get the unit formidable again.

“It’s about continuity and about some of the pressure that our front four is providing with Tez and the rest of the group,” Eberflus said. “Our guys are really understanding the coverages now. We’re able to disguise those coverages, mix them in there, and it’s really just all encompassing for that.”

The Bears still are leaning heavily on zone coverage on the back end. They ranked sixth in zone coverage through eight games at 64.8% and are seventh since Week 9 at 66.7%. They have had an uptick in man coverage (28.8%) over the last four games. The Bears blitzed (more than five rushers) 23.8% of the time in the first eight weeks, which ranked 18th. That has dipped just a little to 20.8% (22nd).

Those trends stand to reason. They can play more man coverage because Eberflus can trust the pass rush will get home with four rushers with more consistency. What has stood out is Eberflus appears to have gotten a little more creative at times, especially in clear passing situations. He has kicked Sweat inside to tackle in certain situations, lining Yannick Ngakoue at end on the same side. The Bears will walk a linebacker down, which creates defined one-on-one rushing opportunities.

“I wouldn’t say he’s doing anything crazy,” defensive tackle Justin Jones said. “I just think it’s the players. We’re putting guys in certain positions they can really excel in. It’s nothing he’s calling. He calls good plays. He’s calling plays that allow the players to be themselves and do what they do well.

“There are a lot of eyes on Montez. That allows guys like me and 99 (Gervon Dexter) and 95 (DeMarcus Walker) and 91 (Ngakoue) to really go and rush. Don’t worry about getting a double here or, ‘I’m getting slide protection.’ The eyes are on Sweat right now, and that gives us the opportunity to really do it.”

The Bears flustered Detroit for 55 minutes in the Nov. 19 game before the Lions engineered an unlikely comeback with Goff nearly flawless in two late drives, completing 10 of 12 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. The rematch is an opportunity for the defense to atone. There was considerable hand-wringing about the offensive play calling late in the game, and it obscured the fact the defense couldn’t close out what should have been an impressive win.

Goff wasn’t comfortable in the pocket, and playing in cold conditions Sunday should help the Bears.

While Julius Peppers (free agency in 2010) and Khalil Mack (trade in 2018) were edge rushers added as final pieces to playoff-ready defenses, the Bears are still a couple of parts away from that point with Sweat. Ideally they can get another bookend edge rusher to pair with Sweat. Obviously, Poles needs to decide if there is a way to keep cornerback Jaylon Johnson in the fold, and the Bears will want to consider options on the interior of the defensive line. But Dexter, a second-round pick, is coming on in the second half of his rookie season.

“Coach is allowing us to go out and play and be more tight in coverage,” Johnson said. “I think it allows us to give quarterbacks some blurry reads and causes them to hold the ball a little bit.

“The D-line is going and finishing. We’re doing a better job finishing and a better job in coverage. That works together.”