Montez Sweat arrived in the Windy City at the trade deadline and instantly made an impact on the Chicago Bears' defense. In four games, Sweat has generated 2.5 sacks and 18 pressures. But his impact goes well beyond the individual stats. Sweat's presence forces opponents to send help his way, creating one-on-one opportunities for other Bears defenders. But don't tell that to Mike Lombardi.
Montez Sweat's Statistical Impact
Prior to the acquisition, the Bears' defense blitzed on 25.7% of opponent dropbacks. Since then, they have blitzed on 24.6% of opponent dropbacks, a marginal difference. But that doesn't tell the whole story.
In the first four weeks of the season, the Bears blitzed only 17.3% of the time. And outside of Week 2, they struggled to generate a notable pass rush. The defense was getting torched because they couldn't put pressure on the passer.
What was the answer? You have to start blitzing.
Over the next four games, the Bears blitzed at a rate of 32.2%. While they were able to generate a little more pressure with the blitzes, they made life hard on themselves by taking away players in coverage. The Bears' pressure rates tanked in that span as smart quarterbacks realized they could slice up Chicago's defense with hot routes and quick hitters.
Enter Montez Sweat in Week 9. Since then, the Bears' blitz rates have normalized around 25% while their pressure rates and PFF pass rush grades have steadily risen.
Bears Reaping the Benefits
The players who have seen the most growth since the Sweat acquisition are Gervon Dexter Sr. and DeMarcus Walker.
Dexter had a promising first half of the season but was very up-and-down. Since Week 9, he has been a more consistent performer and a weapon to use in one-on-one battles. Meanwhile, Walker has had his best pass-rushing performances of the season over the last two weeks.
While the entire defensive front has benefited from the presence of Sweat, those two players seem to be gaining the most.
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