00:00Why now? Why this team? Why this job, Ben?
00:05Yeah, certainly the place played a huge part of it, the people here.
00:10I'm talking about George McCaskey, Kevin Warren, Ryan Poles.
00:15I really felt a great vibe on the interview.
00:19We're tackling a hot topic that's got everyone talking,
00:21Ben Johnson's eyebrow-raising comments, or lack thereof,
00:25about the Chicago Bears' defense,
00:28specifically Montez Sweat, the star edge rusher
00:31who's supposed to be the cornerstone of the defensive line.
00:34What's going on here? Was it a slip of the tongue or something deeper?
00:38Ben Johnson, the Bears' offensive coordinator,
00:41recently sat down for what the team called a fireside chat.
00:45No actual fire, but plenty of sparks in the conversation.
00:49When talking about the Bears' defense,
00:51Johnson had plenty of praise for the linebackers.
00:53He also complimented the defensive line's ability to stop the run.
00:57But here's the kicker. He didn't mention Montez Sweat. Not once.
01:02Now, for those who've been following the Bears closely,
01:05this omission feels strange.
01:07Montez Sweat is a 25-million-a-year player.
01:11He's the guy they brought in to be the game-changer on the edge.
01:15How does someone like that not come up in the conversation?
01:20First, let's talk about Montez Sweat's 2024 season.
01:24Statistically, it wasn't great. He finished with just 5.5 sacks.
01:27For a guy who's supposed to be your marquee pass rusher, that's underwhelming.
01:31But numbers don't always tell the full story.
01:33In 2023, Sweat was a menace.
01:36He had memorable games against the Lions,
01:39including one where he practically lived in Jared Goff's backfield.
01:44Six pressures in one game. That's elite production.
01:48So what happened in 2024?
01:51Did the Bears' scheme fail him? Did injuries catch up?
01:54Or is this just one of those down years every player goes through?
01:58Ben Johnson's comments, or omissions, might give us a clue.
02:04When he talked about the defense, he said the defensive line lacked star power.
02:09Hold on a second. Lacked star power?
02:11What about Montez Sweat, the guy who's supposed to be the star?
02:14Is this Johnson's way of subtly saying Sweat isn't living up to his contract?
02:19Or is he simply emphasizing the need for more talent around Sweat?
02:26Let's dig deeper. The Bears' defensive line in 2024 wasn't exactly a murderer's row.
02:33Andrew Billings, the surprise standout at defensive tackle, missed half the season with injuries.
02:38Without Billings, the run defense struggled.
02:41And Sweat? He was often a one-man show.
02:44Teams double teamed him, chipped him with tight ends, and did everything they could to neutralize him.
02:50Football is the ultimate team sport.
02:53And one edge rusher can only do so much.
02:56But here's the thing. Star players rise above.
02:58They find ways to impact the game even when the odds are stacked against them.
03:02That's what separates the good from the great.
03:04In 2024, Montez Sweat didn't do enough of that.
03:08Sure, there were flashes, but flashes don't justify $25 million a year.
03:13Consistency does.
03:15Game-changing moments do.
03:18And let's not forget Johnson's experience with Sweat.
03:22Back in 2023, Sweat gave the Lions fits.
03:25He sacked Jared Goff in both games that season, including a violent hit that had fans and analysts buzzing.
03:32He also racked up five quarterback hits and six pressures in their second matchup.
03:36Those are the kind of performances you'd think would stick in Johnson's memory.
03:40So why the omission?
03:42One possibility is that Johnson's comments weren't a critique of Sweat,
03:46but a call to action for the Bears' front office.
03:49Think about it. If you're Johnson, you want more help for your defense.
03:52You want another edge rusher to take the pressure off Sweat.
03:55You want depth on the defensive line so that injuries to guys like Billings don't derail the season.
04:00By saying the defensive line lacks star power,
04:04Johnson might be pushing for the team to invest in that area during the offseason.
04:10And let's be real. He's not wrong.
04:12One edge rusher, no matter how talented, isn't enough.
04:15The best defensive lines in the NFL are loaded with talent.
04:19Look at the Philadelphia Eagles.
04:21They've got guys like Hayson Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Jalen Carter.
04:25They come at you in waves.
04:27That's what the Bears need to aim for.
04:30Another possibility is that Johnson's comments were more about mindset than personnel.
04:34When he said the defensive line lacked star power, maybe he wasn't talking about talent.
04:39Maybe he was talking about mentality.
04:41Great defenses have an edge, a swagger.
04:44They impose their will on opponents.
04:46In 2024, the Bears' defense didn't do enough of that.
04:50They were good at stopping the run when Billings was healthy,
04:53but they didn't generate enough pressure on the quarterback.
04:57They didn't force enough turnovers.
04:59They didn't make enough game-changing plays.
05:02So, where does that leave us?
05:04For starters, the Bears need to figure out what they have in Montez Sweat.
05:08Is he the guy who dominated in 2023?
05:12Or is he the guy who disappeared too often in 2024?
05:16The truth is probably somewhere in between.
05:18Sweat is a talented player.
05:20But he's not a one-man wrecking crew.
05:23He needs help.
05:24That brings us to the offseason.
05:26The Bears have assets.
05:28They've got cap space.
05:29They've got draft picks.
05:30They've got an opportunity to build a defensive line that can dominate.
05:34The question is, will they take it?
05:37Will they target another edge rusher in free agency or the draft?
05:41Will they add depth at defensive tackle?
05:44Will they give Montez Sweat the support he needs to thrive?
05:48One name to watch in free agency is Danielle Hunter.
05:51The Vikings star had 13 sacks in 2024 and is hitting the open market.
05:57Pairing Hunter with Sweat would give the Bears a dynamic duo on the edge.
06:01In the draft, a player like Jared Vers from Florida State could be a game-changer.
06:06He's explosive, relentless, and exactly the kind of player who could elevate the defensive line.
06:12But it's not just about adding talent.
06:14It's about maximizing the talent you already have.
06:18That starts with coaching.
06:19Matt Eberflues, a defensive-minded head coach,
06:22needs to find ways to put Sweat in positions to succeed.
06:26That might mean moving him around the line using stunts and twists
06:30or even dropping him into coverage occasionally to keep offenses guessing.
06:34It's also about accountability.
06:36If Sweat wants to be the face of this defense, he needs to play like it every week.
06:40That means more than just racking up sacks.
06:42It means setting the edge in the run game,
06:44hustling on every play, and being a leader on and off the field.
06:48So what do we make of Ben Johnson's omission?
06:51Was it a subtle critique of Montez Sweat?
06:54A challenge to the front office?
06:56A message to the entire defense?
06:58Maybe it was all of the above.
06:59What's clear is that the Bears have work to do.
07:02They've got a talented edge rusher in Sweat, but they need more.
07:05More help, more consistency, more star power.
07:08Bears fans, what do you think?
07:10Was Johnson's omission a big deal, or are we reading too much into it?
07:13Do you believe in Montez Sweat as the cornerstone of this defense?
07:16Or should the Bears look for other options?
07:19Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and as always,
07:21don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell.
07:24We've got plenty more Bears content coming your way.
07:28Bear down!
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