That was a slight improvement over the previous season. Definitely impacted by injuries to the middle linebackers and pass rushers. Fangio runs a defense that doesn't blitz much....it's imperative that the front of the defense gets a good push...because most of the time there isn't a lot of extra help coming. Though he did adjust that throughout the season and it seemed to me like there was more blitzing than in 2016. The Bears were a far better defense when Trevathan and Freeman were on the field.....especially Trevathan.
Both of those guys played well when on the field. Freeman played like a man possessed at times. I guesss banned substances will do that though.
I am not a Brad Biggs fan. Not because I don’t think he knows what he’s talking about, or because he isn’t accurate. I just hate the fact that he uses 3,000 words when he could use 500 to get his point across. Soooo long winded in print and on the radio. Here is a rare succinct article that explains why Fangio isn’t signed yet. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ears-vic-fangio-limbo-20180111-story,amp.html
Then you clearly haven't read blangs thoughts on the matter tuna. Or the spirited debate we had on the subject. There have also been plenty of comments across multiple gamethreads throughout the season, although in fairness its very easy to get heated in a spur of the moment thing like a gamethread. I know i've certainly done it on other subjects. So probably fair to take that more with a pinch of salt. Totally agree. I also tend to feel there's been a little too much judgement passed on Fangio this season based on past reputation, rather than what he's actually been doing. I'm short of time right now and it's the weekend which means i'm about to be drunk for 2 days so can't find this myself right now, but i would love to see a stat re blitz % of the 2017 Bears D relative to both the rest of the league this season and the 2016 & 2015 Bears D's. Going off memory, there's really very little doubt in my mind the Bears D was blitzing WAY more by seasons end than they were at both the start of this season and during the previous season. I think the dial really started getting turned up after they lost Floyd in week 11, when it became quickly apparent that without him the pass rush was a non-entity. Which Fangio was absolutely right to do. The final game against the Vikings Fangio brought constant pressure. Much of it was ineffective because Keenum played very well against the blitz that day and a few timing things also didn't go their way. But in terms of the question: did Fangio call a lot of blitzes? The answer feels like a clear "yes" to me. Furthermore, while we def saw plenty of corner and slot blitzes this season, it looked going by eye that Fangio's favoured(and most common) blitz call was certainly the LB inside blitz, usually single, sometimes double. Safety blitzes i can't even remember seeing. I know that Trevathon, Jones and Kwiatkowski all finished the season with multiple sacks, while the CB's combined for 2 sacks and Safeties 0, which lends a little credence to my memory. On a side note: I thought Kwit's execution as a blitzer has really come on the last couple years. He seemed the most effective among the ILB's and much better than his rookie year when, frankly, he stunk. Anyway i'd love to see that stat if someone can help a brother out. I think it would go a long way to dispelling the myth on here that Fangio is this very passive DC. At least in Chicago.
Very quickly, i found the same stat as jeanqev. Dunno about 3rd & long, but that 39.27% ranked 20th in the NFL. Hardly stellar, but far from worst in the league. They were only about 1% from being ranked 16th actually. That 39.27% was also an improvement on 2016's number in spite of a lot of injuries and a crippled pass rush.
Looks like Vic is coming back http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/01/12/report-bears-to-retain-vic-fangio-as-defensive-coordinator/
Looks like Fangio is coming back on a 3 year deal. I was intrigued with the thought of the Arizona guy but only if Fangio decided not to return. Allowing our young core to continue progressing under the same system is a huge positive.
Not having to learn a new defense is huge. I look for this squad to be potentially top 5 if they can get some talent in the right places.
So wow, it's not even the divisional round of the playoffs, and the Bears have their new coach, the coordinators and position coaches mostly locked? We can argue about whether these guys are the right guys, but it's pretty clear what Pace thinks and he executed quickly. He hires Nagy, which brings in his OC and Oline coach almost immediately, rightly decides on his own (not forced from above I hope) to retain Vic for the D... I'm feeling cautiously optimistic already. The body of this putrid season isn't even cold yet! I did see a few sites projecting Bears to go WR with the #8 overall. I know it's a need, but White is still on the team, and that still stings.
Very good news. They've got a Defense that is on an upward trajectory and now they have ensured continuity. Simple. Smart. But for the improvement on D to be maintained its now on Pace. He can start by not shitting the bad in FA this year. And since pass rusher seems weak in FA, he's GOT to find a good OLB in the draft.
I just hope Harry gets his two cents in and draft an OT #8, because if you don't protect Trubisky there will be no one to throw the ball him. Ground up, NOT top down.
Sadly the OT draft looks weak this year sooo Walter football has only the kid from Notre Dame projecting as a 1st round selection, and I don't recall ever seeing it that fucking weak.
At least safety isn’t a top priority. That’s progress in itself. Need a stud OLB or 3-4 DE with first pick. I’m not a college guy, not sure who is out there. Then priorities are, sadly, WR OT CB ILB. Nobody is counting on Kevin White for shit. I wouldn’t doubt if he gets cut. Meredith is an asset coming back but he’s coming off a major knee injury and was a 3/4 when he was healthy. Kendall Wright is solid in the slot, so that’s decent. There are weapons elsewhere. Howard, Cohen, Shaheen... if they can hit on a stud WR, watch out.
I think that Fangio returning is a good thing. The defense seems to keep playing for the guy in spite of the shit of the over-all team.
If I had my druthers, the Bears would draft an OL or DL with their first round pick, every, single, year. The game is still won and lost on the line, and a great offensive line makes the entire offense better, as a great defensive line makes the entire defense better.
