New Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington claims the Bears are going to have an elite defensive front in 2024.
It makes sense that the defensive line would be a focus for Eric Washington as he has been a defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills since 2020. Despite spending the majority of his career coaching the defensive line, Washington has experience being the head of a defense. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers from 2018-2019.
Washington is making a return to the Chicago Bears as he already served on their defensive staff from 2008-2010. He was most recently an assistant head coach for the Bills on top of being the defensive line coach.
The Chicago Bears were already on the path to defensive line improvement before Eric Washington came back
The Chicago Bears and head coach Matt Eberflus along with GM Ryan Poles already made improvements to the defensive line prior to the arrival of new DC Eric Washington. Washington doubled down on the idea that a solid defense starts with the front four.
“We are going to be a team that generates pressures with our front four.” – #Bears DC Eric Washington
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) February 22, 2024
“We are going to build the best pass rush in football” – Eric Washington. https://t.co/EUpj1mhdWT
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) February 22, 2024
Chicago acquired edge rusher Montez Sweat just before the 2023 trade deadline and proceeded to sign the impact defense player to an extension. Sweat immediately improved the Chicago Bears defense.
In the first part of the season without Sweat, the Bears had 10 sacks. The back portion of the year in which Sweat participated saw the Bears amass 20 sacks. Sweat played in nine games for the Bears and the only game in which he played wherein the Bears did not record a sack was his first game with the Bears.
Sweat also helped improve the Chicago Bears secondary. In games without Sweat, the Bears accrued a total of six interceptions. With Sweat, they managed to intercept the opposing quarterback 16 times.
If momentum from the back half of the season combines with another star defensive lineman, the Bears could easily have one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2024.
Chicago Bears DC Eric Washington has experience building defensive lines
The last time Eric Washington was with the Chicago Bears as the defensive line coach, he helped the Bears field the fourth-best defense in the NFL when it came to points allowed. He was the defensive line coach for Julius Peppers and Anthony Adams with help from Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher at the linebacker position.
2010: Bears Week- Chicago couldn’t do anything on offense. The only way they were able to even get on the scoreboard was #NYGiants mistakes. In this case, Jacobs never had the handoff & fumbled on the hit. The defense held up but the FG cut the lead to 10-3 in 4Q #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/jYRj3OKkSO
— BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) September 30, 2022
Lovie Smith, the head coach for the Chicago Bears, sang Washington’s praises to his defensive line coach predecessor Rod Marinelli in an article from The Athletic.
“I just remember Lovie telling me about (Washington),” Marinelli said. “And he said, ‘I think you’re going to really enjoy this guy. He’s your type of guy. And he wants to work.’”
Smith was right.
“Just a terrific man,” Marinelli remembered about Washington during an interview with The Athletic. “Hungry. All those things. Bright. Very bright. So we got to working together there. It was really enjoyable.”
Washington helped the Bears to an 11-5 record and an NFC North championship that year, but the season fizzled out with a loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game that came after an injury to QB Jay Cutler.
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