It wasn’t a great night for the Chicago Bears’ starters in Kansas City. Confronted by the league’s current dynasty, the team was overmatched for much of the first half. Caleb Williams and the offense were riddled with miscues, leading to two punts on their first two drives. However, the bigger concern might’ve been the defense. Faced with their first real test of the year, they were basically run over by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense, who put up 20 points in the first half. What stood out the most was something fans have worried about for months.
The pass rush couldn’t get home.
Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Gervon Dexter failed to make Mahomes uncomfortable at all. No sacks and few pressures. This is exactly what people were worried about. They felt Sweat wasn’t enough to drive the pass rush. Odeyingbo may have been a big-name free agent, but he’s never been close to elite in any category. If that weren’t enough, the news got worse after the game. Head coach Ben Johnson revealed that Austin Booker, who’s been having a terrific preseason, will miss a few weeks with a knee injury.
The Chicago Bears have a legitimate pass rush concern.
Not only do their starters lack the overall juice you’d prefer, but their depth is an even bigger concern with Booker out. Beyond Sweat and Odeyingbo, you’re looking at guys like Dominique Robinson, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Daniel Hardy, and Jamree Kromah. That group does not inspire much confidence. It would be shocking if the Chicago Bears don’t add somebody to the mix in the coming days. Final cuts take place on August 26th. GM Ryan Poles could be active on the waiver wire searching for help, or he might seek an option on the veteran market. Is a trade possible? Yes, but unless they’re willing to give up major resources for Trey Hendrickson or Micah Parsons, they will unlikely find a difference-maker. Good luck is needed to resolve this problem. Otherwise, Dennis Allen must get creative with his blitz packages this year.
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