With so much excitement surrounding head coach Ben Johnson and the new offense he’s bringing to the [Chicago Bears](https://www.windycitygridiron.com/), the Dennis Allen hire has kind of slipped under the radar. Chicago’s defense was decent two years ago, but last year it really fell off after the week seven bye, so that unit needs improvement.
Our guy Jacob Infante recently ranked all 32 defensive coordinators for [Pro Football Network](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl/), placing Allen at number 13.
> After two failed stints as an NFL head coach, Dennis Allen finds himself returning to the defensive coordinator ranks. As one of the better defensive coaches in the game, this feels like an excellent way for him to extend his coaching career.
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> In seven seasons as the defensive coordinator in New Orleans, Allen’s defenses consistently performed above average. The Saints made the playoffs in four of those seasons. Now that he doesn’t have a bare-bones roster like he did in 2024, he could make some noise calling plays for the Chicago Bears in 2025.
In 2024, head coach and defensive playcaller Matt Eberflus lost two key players to injury: safety Jaquan Brisker in Week 5 and defensive tackle Andrew Billings in Week 8. He simply wasn’t creative or good enough to get his defense to rally.
Allen is more aggressive than Eberflus was, and while he will blitz more, he’s also more creative with the looks and stunts he runs up front. He’ll play more man-to-man on the back end while trying to confuse offensive protection schemes.
In case you were wondering, Jacob has ’Flus ranked at 18 for PFN, saying, “while his teams disappointed, his defenses were just fine.”
“Just fine” is the perfect way to describe Eberflus’ defenses becuase when he has talent and they aren’t playing good offenses, he’s fine.
Allen’s upgrade on Chicago’s defense may not be as statistically noticeable as what Johnson brings to the Bears' offense, but it’s sure to be just as impactful.