Reading The Defense Week 6

It's funny how often the NFL fools us. If I told you that, entering the season, the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons defenses would be a discussion point by Week 6, most people would have rolled their eyes. We are seeing growth from defenses that haven't been discussed positively in a long time. The Bears are currently ranked ninth in total defense; the Falcons, 16th. Six weeks is a good measuring stick to begin believing trends. There's much more than that, though, that makes these defenses stand out.

The Chicago Bears

Dennis Allen leads the unit and emphasizes a 4-3 scheme that relies on generating pressure with blitzes. The scheme also likes to use dime packages while running man coverage at one of the league's highest rates. There's a unique wrinkle as well: the team utilizes a single-high safety on 63% of plays. This is the defensive equivalent of going all-in at the poker table—there is little margin for error with only one player deep to cover the emergency spot. The philosophy is built on "our players versus yours" in one-on-one matchups. That starts with the corners covering the outside receivers. Rookie corner Malik Muhammad II already has both a sack and an interception this season, a dream for a defensive back in a system built like this. Jaylon Johnson leads the cornerback position in snaps and is second overall on the entire defense, a testament to the consistently high performances he's delivered.

One key to this defense playing well is the responsibility placed on the safeties. The Bears invested high draft capital to obtain Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick, and he has not missed a snap so far this season while compiling 37 tackles, four pass breakups, and an interception. The secondary is clearly the strength of the Bears' defense, but that means little if the front seven can't generate consistent pressure. The concern coming into the season was relying on players with limited name recognition to outgrow their previous production, and so far we have seen exactly that, particularly from edge rusher Austin Booker. Booker has a sack in three of the last four games and recorded two just last week. NFL teams will notice and adjust, which should open opportunities for his counterpart, Montez Sweat, who has shown the ability to get streaky and create disruption. The edge rushers, though not the most highly coveted names, have produced free rushers and pressure against opposing offenses and have helped the Bears rank as a top-10 defense through the early portion of the 2026 season.

The Atlanta Falcons