{"id":177410,"date":"2025-07-03T05:07:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T05:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/177410\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T05:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T05:07:15","slug":"the-bears-secondary-might-be-a-bigger-problem-than-offenses-realize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/177410\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bears\u2019 Secondary Might Be a Bigger Problem Than Offenses Realize"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a fine line between being a playoff team and a Super Bowl-caliber killer. The 2025 Chicago Bears are built to walk that line \u2014 maybe even erase it \u2014 with a secondary that\u2019s loaded, aggressive, and oozing potential.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already broken down the offensive line<\/a>, dissected the playmakers<\/a>, and sized up the defensive front<\/a>. Today? We turn our eyes to the guys patrolling the skies \u2014 the secondary. How good can they be? The answer\u2019s waiting at the end, but let\u2019s just say it might put them in rarefied air.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break it all down.<\/p>\n

Rewinding the Championship Tape: What Makes a Super Bowl Secondary?<\/p>\n

You want a ring? Start with DBs who don\u2019t miss.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel<\/a> and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else. <\/p>\n

So how do we score secondaries? Simple \u2014 we build a 0-100 scale, blending raw stats, advanced metrics, and impact plays into one badass rating. Metrics include pass yards allowed, TDs given up, interception rate, EPA per play, and individual player grades (think PFF scores, Pro Bowl honors, etc.).\u00a0Anything over 90? That\u2019s elite. 80-89? Contender-level. Below 80?\u00a0Better hope your offense is carrying Zeus\u2019 thunderbolt.<\/p>\n

Over the last decade, a pattern has burned through the film: great secondaries = Lombardi potential. Take Seattle\u2019s 2013 \u201cLegion of Boom\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a savage 98-point clinic. Denver\u2019s 2015 \u201cNo Fly Zone\u201d?\u00a095 points.\u00a0Even Philly\u2019s 2024 squad clamped down with a 92-point lockdown. Mahomes\u2019 2023 Chiefs?\u00a0Solid at 85.\u00a0But his 2019 crew? Just a 72\u2014won because their offense was nuclear.<\/p>\n

The common thread?\u00a0Hit the 81-point benchmark or stay home in February.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Defensive Secondary Scores (0-100) From the Last 10 Super Bowl Winners: 2015-2024<\/p>\n

The 91-Point Statement: Bears\u2019 Secondary by the Numbers<\/p>\n

This ain\u2019t your grandpa\u2019s Bears defense. This unit is sleek, fast, and backed by data that\u2019ll slap your spreadsheets into submission:<\/p>\n

-0.25 EPA\u00a0in coverage (BVMSports.com) \u2013 the NFL\u2019s best. Translation? They made QBs earn every damn yard.<\/p>\n

11 takeaways\u00a0and 11 straight games giving up under 21 points(BVMSports.com). That\u2019s consistency with bite.<\/p>\n

Only 17 passing TDs allowed\u00a0(FoxSports.com),\u00a0despite giving up 217.9 pass yards per game (16th). Situational killers.<\/p>\n

Advanced analytics love this crew. They didn\u2019t just bend without breaking \u2014 they bent offenses until they cried for help.<\/p>\n

Individual Bears DB Scores: Breaking Down the Unit<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how each projected starter in the Bears\u2019 2025 secondary grades out on the 0-100 scale \u2014 and why:<\/p>\n

Jaylon Johnson \u2013 94
Elite cornerback play with shutdown skills, physicality, and consistent Pro Bowl-caliber output. Ranked among the top-graded corners on PFF and backed it up on tape every damn week.<\/p>\n

Kevin Byard \u2013 90
Veteran leadership, tackling monster, and reliable in coverage. Not quite the All-Pro force he once was, but still top-tier and invaluable to this unit\u2019s IQ and communication.<\/p>\n

Kyler Gordon \u2013 89
Premier nickel back who can lock up the slot and support against the run. The only reason he\u2019s not over 90 is because he\u2019s still ascending \u2014 but he\u2019s knocking on that door.<\/p>\n

Jaquan Brisker \u2013 88
Versatile, rangy safety who hits like a linebacker. If he stays healthy, he\u2019s one of the best strong safeties in the game. The projection accounts for his bounce-back season.<\/p>\n

Tyrique Stevenson \u2013 83
The young gun with tools and flashes of brilliance. Still inconsistent, but when he\u2019s on, he\u2019s a problem for any WR2. Expect a leap in 2025 with Allen\u2019s coaching.<\/p>\n

Elijah Hicks (rotational safety) \u2013 78
Reliable depth piece who doesn\u2019t screw up. That may sound boring, but in today\u2019s NFL, that makes you damn valuable as a third safety.<\/p>\n

Terell Smith (depth CB) \u2013 76
Still raw, but shows promise in man coverage. He\u2019ll be important in dime packages and could push for more reps if he tightens up technique.<\/p>\n

Add it all up, and you\u2019ve got a unit with elite talent, strong depth, and breakout potential. Now let\u2019s talk about the guys setting the tone.<\/p>\n

Talent That Talks with Their Pads<\/p>\n

Jaylon Johnson\u00a0is a stud, period. ESPN had him with 53 tackles, 2 INTs, 8 pass breakups, and more island time than a travel blogger. He got Pro Bowl nods and a fat 89 rating in Madden for good reason.<\/p>\n

Kevin Byard? A tackling machine. 130 hits from a safety isn\u2019t just productive (ESPN), it\u2019s surgical leadership. The guy led the team in tackles as a DB \u2014 first time that\u2019s happened since 2014. Old school grit meets film-room IQ.<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s not sleep on\u00a0Kyler Gordon, now $40 million richer (Spotrac) and every bit worth it. His nickel corner work was elite, locking down slot receivers and blowing up screens like a DB possessed.<\/p>\n

Advanced Metrics, Real-World Impact<\/p>\n

That\u00a0-0.25 EPA\u00a0number isn\u2019t just pretty. It means they were elite at eliminating chunk plays, forcing throws into tight windows, and straight-up punking opposing passing schemes. Compared to Jacksonville\u2019s 0.29 EPA (aka the league\u2019s worst), the Bears were playing 4D chess while others were still learning checkers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

2025 Chicago Bears Defensive Secondary Score (0-100) vs. The Past 10 Super Bowl Winners Defensive Secondary Benchmark Score<\/p>\n

Coaching and Continuity = 2025 Ammo<\/p>\n

This offseason, Chicago brought in\u00a0Dennis Allen\u00a0to run the D. Say what you will about his stint in New Orleans, but Allen knows secondaries. His units have been known to punch you in the mouth with disguised coverages and blitzes that leave coordinators looking lost.<\/p>\n

Add in a healthy\u00a0Jaquan Brisker, who was sorely missed in 2024 with concussion issues, and you\u2019ve got a deep, physical, versatile DB room. Allen + Brisker + chemistry? That\u2019s a trifecta ready to smash gameplans.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead: A 96-Point Projection?<\/p>\n

Projecting forward, this Bears secondary could hit\u00a096 points. That would put them on par with the best of the last 20 years. The reason? Health, chemistry, coaching, and player growth.<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s in his prime. Gordon\u2019s ascending. Byard\u2019s the vet glue. Brisker adds back the physical edge. And Allen\u2019s cooking up disguises in his defensive lab.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict<\/p>\n

The NFL isn\u2019t a fairytale. It\u2019s trench warfare with turf burns. And look \u2014 I get it. This is a team sport. You don\u2019t hoist a Lombardi just because one group shows out. The offense has to do its job, and that defensive line? It\u2019s gotta take a leap too. But if we\u2019re isolating just the secondary? The Bears have a unit that puts them firmly in the Super Bowl conversation.<\/p>\n

With the potential to be one of the nastiest backfields in football, Chicago\u2019s DBs give this team a damn good shot at making noise in January \u2014 maybe even February. The rest? We wait and see.<\/p>\n

But if they do go the distance, don\u2019t kid yourself \u2014 this secondary will be the reason.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a fine line between being a playoff team and a Super Bowl-caliber killer. The 2025 Chicago Bears…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":177411,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[391,8897,7,4423,16149,4861,4422,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-177410","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-chicago-bears","9":"tag-dennis-allen","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-jaquan-brisker","12":"tag-jaylon-johnson","13":"tag-kevin-byard","14":"tag-kyler-gordon","15":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114787571718091593","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}