Why Bears run D is struggling and how they can fix it

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Coming into this season, one of the Bears’ priorities on defense was to stop the run so they could generate more opportunities for their pass rush with only four down-linemen. But here’s where they’re at through four games. They’ve given up 733 rushing yards, most in the NFL. They’ve allowed 44 rushing first downs, also most in the NFL. The 5.1 yards per carry they surrender ranks third-highest. Their five rushing touchdowns allowed is a bit of an improvement, as it’s only tied for the fifth-worst mark in the league.

Quite simply, the run defense has been a big weakness for the team.

“You noticed that, huh?” quipped Alan Williams when asked about it on Thursday. “The No.1 thing I would say for any defense is, you can’t let people run the ball down your throat. You just can’t.”

Looking ahead to this Sunday, Williams expects the Vikings will take a look at the Bears’ defensive stats and start salivating at the opportunity for Dalvin Cook to put together a massive game.

“They're gonna come in and say, ‘Hey, they're coming in our house and we're gonna run the ball down their throat and then play-action pass and get over their head.’ That's what the stats say to do. So we'll see if the stats lie or not.”

So how do the Bears make the “stats lie?” How can they buck the trend against one of the most dynamic running backs in the league? Williams says it comes down to execution. But it’s not just one thing the Bears need to clean up with their techniques on the field.

“It could be a tackle, it could be poor eyes, it could be slow fit,” Williams said. “There are a variety of things… and not doing too much. I would say with our guys, the problematic thing is everyone wants to make every play. Everyone wants to help out. Sometimes that can lead to, ‘Hey, I’m not in my gap because I’m gonna help a guy over here.’ And that may lead to, if I’m helping a guy over here, I may be out of my gap.

“That can lead to some big plays, or plays that should be a tackle for a loss or should be a 1-yard gain and it turns out to be a 5-yard gain. And so what we need to do is make sure that consistently guys are doing their job, consistently executing, consistently putting your eyes where they need to be. And when you make decisions to do those things, you’ll see the defense gets a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better each week.”

Williams expects that working towards that level of discipline and trust will be a long-term project with the Bears defense, because it’s a long-term project with any defense. In his mind, the top defenses are the ones who play the most consistently, and that’s what the Bears strive to do. He also knows the coaches have to help the players get there.

“We have to find ways to say, ‘Hey, discipline, eye discipline, a discipline gap.’ We talk about mental stability. We talk about mental stamina, choosing to be disciplined about what you’re doing, and that takes time.

“Good defenses, good teams, good-coached defenses, they do that consistently, and that’s our challenge to do that every week.”

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