Throughout the Chicago Bears’ 2023 season, there were a lot of changes on the defensive line, both in terms of roster construction and on-field performance.
The Bears had the fewest sacks in the NFL at the end of the 2022 season, so general manager Ryan Poles had his job cut out for him to strengthen one of the worst pass rushes in professional football. Polish officials signed several veterans in free agency during the offseason, and they promptly went to work strengthening the porous unit.
Along with Justin Jones, who was signed in the 2022 offseason, Demarcus Walker, Andrew Billings, and Rasheem Green were signed to below-market contracts in March as less expensive veterans. Later in the draft, the Poles added to their defensive line by selecting defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens with their second round picks. Yannick Ngakoue was added during training camp to provide further reinforcements before the season began.
But the Bears’ largest acquisition happened during the season. Montez Sweat was acquired by Poles before the trade deadline in exchange for a second-round pick. This deal improved the defensive line and made the Bears’ defence among the best in the NFL in the second part of the season. The Bears defence only allowed 17.9 points per game throughout the final nine games of the season, compared to 27.3 points per game during the first half of the season, largely due to the influence of sweat, often known as the “Tez effect.”
It’s a little difficult to judge the defensive line’s performance because there was a noticeable change in the group’s performance before and after the Sweat deal. It will be critical for the Bears to draw the correct conclusions from what they observed from the club during the course of the previous season as talk turns to the offseason. In light of that, the following is our analysis of the defensive line’s performance in the 2023 campaign.
The arrival and effects of Montez Sweat were the defensive line’s most significant narrative in 2023.
Sweat led the team with 6.0 sacks despite only appearing in nine games for the Bears, and he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Sweat ended the season leading both his former team, the Washington Commanders, in sacks in addition to leading the Bears in sacks. In his greatest performance, Sweat shut down the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line with seven pressures, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Apart from his personal achievements, Sweat’s greatest legacy may have come from the positive influence he had on those in his immediate vicinity after moving to Chicago. Sweat’s presence was especially advantageous to players like Demarcus Walker and Gervon Dexter. With Sweat in the starting lineup, Walker—a dynamic player who could rush from both the inside and the outside—had some of his best performances towards the end of the season as he led the team in total pressures.
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