Ryan Poles deserves blame for the Bears’ lack of pass rushing on the defensive line

The Chicago Bears lost their fifth straight game on Sunday, losing at home to the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 30-27 in overtime. Despite over 400 yards on offense and 11 points scored in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, the Bears’ defense failed to contain the Vikings’ passing attack, especially in overtime. With Matt Eberflus’ Cover-2 defensive scheme relying on defensive line pressure, general manager Ryan Poles has repeatedly failed to provide quality talent on the field, leading to a repeat of the same problem over the past three seasons.

When Ryan Poles was hired in January 2022, he hired Eberflus knowing Chicago’s defensive scheme and roster would need to transition from a 3-4 base defense to a Guard-2 scheme. Cover-2 defense relies heavily on linebackers dropping back into pass coverage to protect against tight ends and runners catching passes, freeing up the secondary to support opposing wide receivers. For the scheme to work successfully, the defensive line must create consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback to make rushing throws to create errors.

Over the last three seasons, Ryan Poles has failed to sign or draft a reliable and consistent passing talent other than defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. The best defensive player Chicago has right now is defensive end Montez Sweat, who was acquired via trade from the Washington Commanders at last year’s trade deadline. Outside of Sweat and Dexter, the Poles have had more failed signings and draft picks than successful ones on the defensive line, which leads to the problem the Bears’ defense is currently experiencing.

Despite Sweat’s presence, the rest of Chicago’s defensive line failed to generate consistent pass rush pressure, causing the pass defense to struggle, especially in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. During Chicago’s five-game losing streak, the Bears’ defensive unit recorded ten sacks, with only five of those coming from the defensive line. Some of Ryan Poles’ defensive line draft picks received decent playing time during the five-game losing streak and failed to generate any pressure.