Categories: Chicago Sports

It sounds like Chicago Bears players are more comfortable in new defense system

New Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is changing the team’s defensive scheme from the 3-4 defense to the 4-3, making some changes from the previous regime.

It’s a big change that has already had an impact on the roster and rotation. The most notable switch is that the Bears will have three linebackers and four defensive linemen. They have also moved on from Khalil Mack, trading him to Los Angeles. And that will provide a bigger opportunity for Trevis Gipson who is already more comfortable in this new system as he revealed to reporters before Tuesday’s voluntary minicamp:

Daniel Greenberg

@ChiSportUpdates

Chicago Bears linebacker Trevis Gipson said that the coaching staff wants the defense to play fast, physical, and to have fun.
Gipson said he feels more comfortable in this defense. He said for him it’s more hand in the dirt and less coverage.
(Via Bears FB Live)

1:11 PM · Apr 19, 2022

Gipson also told reporters Tuesday he was happy to get back to the 4-3 scheme that he called “natural” for his playing style. New changes to the defense have brought “confidence” to the Bears, he said, which the third year is excited about

“They want us to play fast, physical, you know, have fun, so they took the thinking load off our plates, which is something that I’m sure every player would want. And I’m excited to play fast,” Gipson said.

It’ll be interesting to hear from the defensive linemen how they like the new defense, as there will be a lot more of them, eight or nine, going through rotations. Eberflus told the audience of the Chris Collinsworth Podcast on ChicagoBears.com, that he wanted his players to go as hard as they can.

“The defensive line for us is really about playing in waves,” Eberflus said. “We want those guys playing max speed all the time. That might be just 30 plays, that might be 40 plays, that might be 25 plays. Everybody’s going to have a role, and everybody has to understand what their role is. We feel that over the past years that that’s the best way to do it: just play those guys in waves and do a great job rotating those guys.”

For now, it seems the linebackers are on board.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.