Montez Sweat and Chicago Bears defense make winning possible despite struggles by QB Caleb Williams

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have a top-10 defense, and it is far from satisfied with its performance in the first part of the season.

The defense has kept the team in games while the offense has struggled to find its footing as Caleb Williams goes through the usual learning process for rookie quarterbacks. The Bears (2-2) clinched both of their wins with late interceptions.

“Honestly, we haven’t been good enough,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “Quite honestly. I feel like we definitely haven’t taken away the explosive plays that we want to. We definitely let some of those go.

“We definitely have got hit on some of our runs. Just not being disciplined, not being where we are supposed to be consistently.”

The Bears’ 10th-ranked defense is third in takeaways with eight and second in passer rating against (69.0). Thanks to Gervon Dexter’s three sacks and two each by Darrell Taylor and Montez Sweat, they have pulled up to the middle of the league in sacks (10) after they were next to last in 2023 and last in 2022.

Taylor was acquired in a trade with Seattle just before the season, giving Chicago an extra pass-rusher for its rotation and creating an opportunity to move players around. Sweat has been lining up in different spots for the first time since he came over in a trade last year with Washington.

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“Those two guys have the ability to affect a quarterback, and certainly Montez can win from anywhere on the defensive line,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “We like the versatility that Darrell brings to the table ... and hopefully we can just continue with our (different) alignments to generate one on ones in critical times.”

It’s a defense without a lot of big names, but with several capable players.

“I think the best part about our defense is anyone on the defense can have a big game at any moment,” Sweat said. “It’s kind of like give or take, who’s going to show out on Sunday. It’s like a surprise.

“This past week, I mean obviously you seen (safety Jaquan Brisker) jump out a lot on tape. I feel like they kid of snubbed him on a player-of-the-week type of deal. He had a sack, lots of tackles, a pick and a pick called back.”

Bears defensive players said before the season they were aiming for the top five in the league. Because they don’t play against their surging NFC North rivals until the season’s second half, and are facing a stretch of games now against teams with losing records in recent years, it’s possible they could take huge steps forward. They host Carolina on Sunday and play Jacksonville in London before games against Washington, Arizona and New England.

They have had problems in one unexpected area, though. They’re 18th against the run after being first last year.

“We’re leaking,” Sweat admitted.

They have allowed 119 yards rushing or more three times. They face Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard on Sunday after he had consecutive 100-yard games.

“We just have to go back to that and make sure we own our specific areas on the field,” Washington said. “The premise of our run defense is single gap control. We’re not a two-gap system. And so that’s a simplistic way of looking at it, but it really comes down to that: Control your area.”

While the offense searches for an identity, at least Chicago’s defense has one.

“Last year, for us, was about trying to find our identity as a whole,” Johnson said.

Sweat brought it all together last year, after they had signed linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards in the offseason.

“We’re more of a unit,” Johnson said. “Our energy and all that is coming together.”

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