Bears' pass rush starts with a roar after offseason of questions

No part of the Bears’ roster, outside of quarterback, has been as scrutinized as their pass rush. It was the worst in the NFL over general manager Ryan Poles’ first two seasons, and there were a million questions about it coming into this season.

Even Poles had questions, evidenced by his interest in trading for former Patriots star Matt Judon and the eventual deal late in training camp for Seahawks’ pass rusher Darrell Taylor to find a wingman for star Montez Sweat.

It’s too early to declare that problem solved, but the pass rush was fierce in the season-opening win over the Titans and give the Bears some hope of rattling Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud on Sunday.

“We can always improve, but it was cool to get started,” Sweat said. “It was great production, but we could be better.”

The Bears had the second-highest pressure rate in Week 1 at 39.5% and got two sacks from Taylor and one from defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Taylor stripped the ball one on sack, leading to a takeaway, and defensive end DeMarcus Walker was all over quarterback Will Levis as he flung the ball to cornerback Tyrique Stevenson for a pick-six.

That was one of four quarterback hits for Walker, who is working at end and tackle and was on the field more than any defensive lineman on either team at 83% of the snaps.

That group will have to prove it against a tougher opponent Sunday. The Texans are miles ahead in several areas, but specifically they have a four-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Laremy Tunsil and a veteran right tackle in Tytus Howard, who likely will be matched up against Sweat most of the night.

“Laremy Tunsil, I believe is, if not the best tackle in the league, definitely in the top two or three, and Tytus Howard also is a respected tackle,” Sweat said. “So we’ve got to bring our [stuff].”

That starts with Sweat, their most accomplished pass rusher and highest-paid player. He’s impossible to overlook, and opponents are going to prioritize mitigating him the way they did when the Bears had Khalil Mack.

It’s great that the extra attention on Sweat opens opportunities for Taylor and others, but elite pass rushers overcome it.

“It’s part of the job I signed up for,” Sweat said. “I plan on taking it on.”

Taylor also has to prove the Bears right. He was buried on the Seahawks’ depth chart, and they unloaded him for a sixth-round pick.

His falling out in Seattle was curious given that the team drafted him in the second round in 2020 and he had 9 ½ sacks in 2022 and 21 ½ over three seasons.

The trade energized both him and the Bears. Their pass rush needed a jolt, and Taylor needed a team that believed in him.

“When I felt like they didn’t need me anymore, it definitely lit a fire inside my heart,” Taylor said. “I got super motivated when I got here, and you can see I’m excited to be here.”

As for getting two sacks in the opener, he said, “I wanted to let my teammates and this coaching staff know what I’m here to do.”

Now he just has to keep doing it.

Other than swinging big on Sweat and spending a second-round pick on Dexter, the Bears have been piecing it together on the defensive line.

Tackle Andrew Billings was bouncing around the league on one-year deals when they picked him up last year. Walker was a bargain signing, and his $7 million average pay ranks 57th at his position this season. The pick they gave up for Taylor was nothing.

But if the Bears might have correctly identified talent and versatility that others didn’t see. If they get another big season from Sweat and strong returns on their investment in the rest of the line, that could be enough.