2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 5-2
Bears defense
Every snap the Bears defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.01 EPA a play allowed, 15th of 32, and 0.00 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (15th).
- How they playThey blitz on 41% of dropbacks, the 5th-most in the league, and get pressure on 28%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.2 a carry, 19th, and runs off left tackle gain 5.2 a carry.
- Who hurt themJalen Coker (CAR): 138 yards and +12.5 EPA on 9 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 8 against the Seahawks, whose offense ranks 23rd in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.01 | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.03 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.08 | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 41% | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Yards per play | 6.3 | 32nd of 32 | 2nd | |
| Yards per carry | 4.2 | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 26% | 1st of 32 | 98th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 8.5% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 28% | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 16% | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.8% | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 65% | 20th of 32 | 39th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.97 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.1 | 20th of 32 | 38th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | 0.00 | 15th of 32 | 55th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Bears. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 3 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 6 against the Falcons, 0.23 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average -0.03 a play elsewhere, the 28th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at CARW 59-37+0.18usual +0.01
vs MINL 3-9-0.08usual -0.11
vs PHIW 27-7-0.30usual -0.11
vs NYJW 23-12-0.14usual +0.06
at GBL 7-31+0.25usual -0.03
at ATLW 31-23-0.31usual -0.08
vs NEW 30-24+0.18usual +0.05Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep right: +1.29 EPA a throw against a league +0.33. The lockdown zone is behind the line right, -0.75 a throw (league -0.22). Completions against them run 2.5 points over expected, 23rd-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.2 yards a carry against them, 19th of 32. The leak is off left tackle: 5.2 a carry and +0.04 EPA (league 4.6, -0.03).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 15.74th | 149.419th | +0.1611th-toughest | 20.716th-most25.416th-most30.114th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 6.67th | 56.621st | +0.4027th-toughest | 8.316th-most10.714th-fewest13.114th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 4.43rd | 35.321st | +0.0919th-toughest | 14.97th-fewest16.74th-fewest18.65th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 19.38th-most19.38th-most19.38th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Coker | CAR | 9 | 138 | 2 | +12.5 |
| Christian Watson | GB | 8 | 143 | 2 | +10.3 |
| Matthew Golden | GB | 7 | 123 | +7.6 | |
| Jahan Dotson | ATL | 5 | 87 | 1 | +6.6 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | 11 | 115 | 1 | +6.5 |
| Kyle Pitts | ATL | 7 | 60 | 2 | +6.2 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 44% against a league 61%. They are stingiest in 3rd down (-0.40 a play, league -0.04) and weakest in the two-minute drill (+0.19, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 156 | +0.18 | +0.02 | +0.17 |
| 2nd down | 114 | +0.09 | +0.00 | +0.09 |
| 3rd down | 69 | -0.40 | -0.04 | -0.37 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 16 | 44% | 61% | −17 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 18 | 33% | 44% | −11 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 35 | 14% | 27% | −12 pts |
| Red zone | 45 | +0.21 | +0.03 | +0.17 |
| Two-minute drill | 37 | +0.19 | 0.00 | +0.20 |
| When they lead | 222 | -0.05 | +0.01 | -0.06 |
| One-score game | 191 | -0.13 | -0.01 | -0.12 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 28 | 0.00 | +0.03 | -0.03 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 41% of dropbacks and average 4.6 rushers; 59% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.03 EPA when they blitz and +0.07 when they do not.
They put 6.9 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 15%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.6 a carry; into eight or more, 3.7.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 1 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.25 EPA against them on 23% of throws; screens -0.61.
18 defensive penalties for 141 yards, 9 of them first downs, the 7th-fewest. They miss 8% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 16th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Austin Booker leads the pass rush with 9 pressures and 4 sacks on 63% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50Grady JarrettDT | 72% | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 94Austin BookerDE | 63% | 9 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 2 |
| 98Montez SweatDE | 50% | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |
| 93Kentavius StreetDE | 43% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| 97James LynchDT | 42% | 2 | 1 | 16 | |||
| 55Dayo OdeyingboDE | 40% | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |
| 90Neville GallimoreDT | 33% | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 96Jordan van den BergDT | 19% | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 92Daniel HardyDE | 16% | 4 | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | 10 | |
| 58Jamree KromahDE | 7% | 1 | 1 |
Devin Bush plays 94% of the snaps with 38 tackles and 1 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12Devin BushLB | 94% | 38 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 83.8 | |
| 53T.J. EdwardsLB | 63% | 15 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 65.1 | 5 | |
| 48D'Marco JacksonLB | 56% | 21 | 9 | 55.1 | 2 | |||
| 44Noah SewellLB | 12% | 9 | 1 | 3 | 80.6 | |||
| 57Jack SanbornLB | 2% | 4 | 1 | 87.5 | ||||
| 47Buddy JohnsonLB | 0% | 5 |
Malik Muhammad is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 70.2 passer rating on 31 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31Dillon ThienemanSAF | 98% | 23 | 12 of 23 | 165 | 1 | 77.3 | 1 | 5 |
| 1Jaylon JohnsonCB | 97% | 31 | 24 of 31 | 445 | 1 | 116.5 | 2 | |
| 24Malik MuhammadCB | 75% | 31 | 17 of 31 | 273 | 1 | 70.2 | 1 | 5 |
| 21Cam LewisCB | 68% | 12 | 11 of 12 | 139 | 2 | 118.2 | ||
| 29Tyrique StevensonCB | 56% | 20 | 12 of 20 | 229 | 3 | 117.0 | 3 | |
| 32Xavier WoodsFS | 36% | 6 | 5 of 6 | 68 | 1 | 105.2 | ||
| 22Elijah HicksSAF | 15% | 5 | 4 of 5 | 49 | 1 | 137.5 | ||
| 6Kyler GordonCB | 13% | 2 | 2 of 2 | 5 | 79.2 | |||
| 20Clark Phillips IIICB | 7% | 1 | 1 of 1 | 5 | 87.5 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.