The Bears made it onto HBO's Hard Knocks this past week in episode 3, looking better than they looked all last season when they actually starred in it.
It featured their hard-fought practice at Halas Hall and then Sunday night's 38-0 rout of the Bills, but most of all it was their defense getting the good film.
Maybe edge rusher Austin Booker came out looking the best, or Joe Thuney. Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver was perplexed with trying to get past Thuney in practice and didn't mind expressing his admiration for the technique shown by the All-Pro guard who was shutting him down.
Booker not only had some great footage of his violent sack in the game but was caught getting some friendly advice at practice from Bills tackle Dion Dawkins. Then it was Dawkins from the sidelines who saw a charging Andrew Billings and remarked "That boy’s big as hell, the D-tackle, look at 97.”
Pretty cool moment on Hard Knocks tonight with Bills OL Dion Dawkins talking to #Bears DE Austin Booker.
Dawkins told Booker "You drastically look different than anybody out here, so you have to play different than anybody out here."
Dawkins then told Booker to feel free to…
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) August 20, 2025
It seemed funny for 6-5, 320-pound Dawkins to call Billings big but he is at 340 now after adding some weight this year.
Don’t call it weight, though.
"I put on a lot of muscle actually," Billings said Wednesday after practice to reporters’ laughter. "Twenty pounds of muscle.”
#Bears NT Andrew Billings on why he thinks the team will have a top-five defense this season... pic.twitter.com/uaevbrrFeO
— Barroom Net | Aldo Gandia (@BarroomNetwork) August 21, 2025
It helps to be stronger if you're coming back from a torn pectoral muscle, the injury that ended Billings' year and for all intents and purposes the defense's run-stopping ability last year.
They already were struggling more than the previous year against the run before Billings' injury, but then his loss eventually led them to finish 28th against the run.
"Especially, the run game's always my job first and foremost, but also in the past, I think I've been able to complement the defense,” Billings said.
They really did choose the WRONG year to not have the #bears on Hard Knocks 🤣🤣🤣
— The Man About Tech (@Vyyyper) August 20, 2025
Billings believes he can rush the passer even at his weight, if necessary. Even as a nose tackle, last year suggested he's right. He had only one sack in his eight games before the injury against Arizona but managed seven pressures.
The total was more than in any season since his rookie year of 2018 with the Bengals, and four more than he had for a full season in 2024 with the Bears as well as for 14 games in 2023 with the Raiders.
ANDREW BILLING SACK pic.twitter.com/eiVqGrKJW9
— Eric (@Eric_Root54) August 18, 2025
He proved it again in last weeks preseason win with a sack against the Bills that triggered a big celebration on the field.
“They’re always happy when I get a sack, so it's always good when the big boy gets a sack,” Billings said.
Bears assessment: 1st team played buffalo second team and it showed .Williams came out slinging and the bears starters prepared for 2 weeks and took it to them .The plays were well executed and the team came to play .The tight ends will be huge on this team like they were big in…
— Mike North (@North2North) August 18, 2025
While stopping the run remains the "big boy's" focus and essentially the first goal for the whole defense, Billings said the pass rush is starting to excite everyone.
“Specifically, lately, our rush, rushing together as a unit has really come together really well,” he said.
Part of the excitement is from coordinator Dennis Allen's approach. They'll force the issue with blitzes to complement the linemen.
The #Bears starters were playing like a GOOD TEAM. Not a bad team, not even a scrappy team.
A well-oiled, clean, efficient, and effective team. Everything Nagy and Flus couldn't figure out in their 2nd and 3rd years, Ben Johnson has achieved in preseason.
— TheFakeStaleyDaBear 🐻⬇️ 🏳️🌈✡️ (@bear_staley) August 18, 2025
“We're going to bring pressure," Billings said. "It doesn't matter where we are in the game situationally, the pressure makes sense. We're going to bring it.”
The approach has Billings talking lofty team defensive goals. Last year the secondary spoke like this, but when the big nose tackle is saying it then it gets everyone to take notice.
“Our goal, first of all, is to be top five in everything," Billings said. "If we are top five in everything, we're going to win a lot of games.
ANDREW BILLINGS WITH THE BEST SACK CELEBRATION YOU’LL EVER SEE pic.twitter.com/qPDvQ7xfmi
— Second City Bears (@SecondCityBears) August 18, 2025
"Ultimately, we want to be No. 1, but our goal is to be top five in everything.”
As a result, they're enjoying the idea of matching up against the first team from Kansas City. It gives them a chance to show everyone what Billings says he's seeing in practice.
So freaking excited for Bears/Chiefs Friday night !! 🐻⬇️
— Christine 🦋 (@iTsLittleOldMe) August 20, 2025
“First, the speed in which you're moving," Billings said. "After the ball's thrown, after the running back, if he breaks the line of scrimmage, we're all hustling there.
"I think that's a huge part of being top five. We see the takeaways that we produced, that's a part of it. Third down defense. First, second down defense is just coming together.”
I will NEVER be mad about taking Josh Simmons over Luther Burden, it was the right choice 10 out of 10 times…
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t want him on my team.
It will be fun watching him with the Bears this year! 💯 pic.twitter.com/iHl1dP0DdM
— Daily Chiefs (@Daily_Chiefs_) August 18, 2025
Last week was a test but they played only one series and against Buffalo's backups.
“Yes, the first team, they went out there, got their three-and-out," Billings said. "It still was a test, too, going out there and playing against no matter who, no matter who you're going against out there on that field game day, it is time to go.
"But definitely a lot more snaps this K.C. game."
Chiefs vs Bears
Both teams are rolling out their starters, and it will be a litmus test for the Bears
Caleb Williams and company looked sharp last week, but let's see how they look against the Chiefs' 1st team
If the Bears perform well, expect their players' ADP to rise 👀 pic.twitter.com/XnbeU6tLRA
— Ryan Linkletter (@blitzlink_) August 21, 2025
X: BearsOnSI