The Chicago Bears defense has been exciting all season long, not only leading the league in overall tackles, but also leading the NFL in interceptions this year.
The defense is led by defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and secondary coach Al Harris, who also gets the spotlight for all the work he’s done without several key players for much of the season.
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Entering Week 16, the Bears will need their defense to continue their dominance after a 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns, but the test will be even tougher as they take on the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Saturday night. The Packers will enter this game without pass rusher Micah Parsons for the year with a torn ACL, and two of their top offensive stars are questionable for the primetime matchup.
Here are the top three defensive takeaways from the Bears-Packers rematch in Week 16:
Find the ball and get it
Green Bay didn’t turn the ball over and was one of the best teams in the NFL at protecting the ball, but the Bears beat quarterback Jordan Love once in Week 14. For the most part, Love and Green Bay don’t find themselves in too much danger, and it goes without saying how important takeaways are for the Bears this season, and whenever they get a chance to disrupt the rhythm, they have to make the most of it. The defense has to be aggressive, but smart enough to catch the ball when it’s there.
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Ruining Jordan’s Love
Love had the aforementioned interception two weeks ago against the Bears, but he was also sacked just once and had just eight incompletions in the game. While Love has been a roller coaster at times throughout the season, he was able to do whatever he wanted against Chicago and make game after game when the Green Bay offense needed it.
Eliminate all opportunities for big plays
On their first play, running back Josh Jacobs had his longest rush of 21 yards, and wide receiver Jayden Reed added 15 yards. Combine those rushes with Christian Watson’s 41-yard catch, Bo Melton’s longest catch of 45 yards, and Josh Whyle’s 21-yarder, and it all points to one good game after another for Green Bay. Chicago would limit the Packers’ big-play opportunities as it was unable to suppress any momentum in the game. Both Jacobs and Watson are questionable in this game, which will be news to watch on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Packers: 3 keys to Chicago’s defense in Week 16
