After playing 139 career NFL games, receiver Keenan Allen knows a good defense when he sees one.
This week at Bears mandatory minicamp, he’s seen one.
“They look like a top-five defense,” he said. “They sound like a top-five defense, too.”
You hear the Bears’ veteran defense before you see it. Both mandatory minicamp practices this week have featured the constant chirping of safety Kevin Byard, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, defensive end Montez Sweat and others.
“Defenses are annoying,” Allen said. “Especially at practice.”
The energy — and the execution — has grabbed the attention of an offense trying to learn a new scheme.
“I mean, they’re a top-five defense,” guard Teven Jenkins said Wednesday. “They do everything great.”
That’s not hyperbole — at least in the second half of last season. For the Bears to get where they want to go this year, Matt Eberflus’ defense needs to be even better.
Quarterback Caleb Williams’ progress will be the most important bellwether for the franchise long-term, but the defense’s progress might be what decides more wins and losses in 2024.
From the moment the Bears traded for Sweat in Week 9 last year on, they allowed the fifth-fewest points and third-lowest passer rating and collected the fourth-most takeaways. That momentum carried over into offseason practices.
“It really just feels like a giant build-up,” cornerback Kyler Gordon said. “It just feels bigger and bigger every day. The more we hang out, the more we play ball together, the more we do anything together, everyone’s just on the same type of timing. Who’s going to make the next play? Who’s going to do this? Who’s going to do that?
“We know what we want to be. The expectation is high for ourselves, that we put our standards all the way up there. You can just feel that every day in practice.”
That’s one benefit of continuity. The Bears swapped out safety Eddie Jackson for Byard and lost defensive tackle Justin Jones in free agency, but otherwise figure to have the same starting unit as last year.
“Being able to pick up where we left off at last year is a good feeling,” said Johnson, who made his first Pro Bowl last year. “I think we can definitely take it up a few notches this year.”
There are still some question marks left — the Bears could stand to add a situational pass rusher in free agency to play opposite Sweat — but the defense is as settled as any Bears unit in years.
New coordinator Eric Washington — who won’t call plays — has spent the offseason preaching takeaways. The Bears are gunning for 20 interceptions and 20 forced fumbles in 2024. Last year, they had 22 and six, respectively.
By point of comparison, the Bears’ Super Bowl-era records are 34 interceptions, set in 1985, and 23 fumble recoveries, set in 1976.
“However we gotta get it, we’re gonna get it,” Gordon said. “That’s just kind of the standard that we’re putting ourselves to, that we all hold each other to. …
“I’m all about proving it. You can say a lot of things. I would say that I definitely feel a lot from that defense as far as chemistry, energy and just the type of timing that we’re on. For all of us to be on the same page and a step further than last year, I picture a lot of things for us in the future. I’m just excited.”
So is Allen, who played with one top-five defense in his 11 years with the Chargers.
But he’s also annoyed. Which is a good thing this time of year.
“You just hear them every time they make a play,” Allen said. “It’s hooray celebration.”
