Sunday night proved to be the toughest test of the Bears' defensive identity to date.
Due to an uncharacteristic five turnovers by the high-powered offense, Dennis Allen's unit was called upon to make consecutive stops while being put in unfavorable positions. But those challenges were no match for a group that has spent months preparing for big moments.
"We're built for it," defensive back Cam Lewis said. "That's what the long training camp practices were for, the long drive drills we used to do. That's just our identity. That's what we want. We don't want it just to be all on the offense.
"We want some games to be relied on by the defense. And tonight, I feel like we showed that."
The Bears defense's most prominent moment in Sunday night's 27-24 win over the Buccaneers came courtesy of cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
With four minutes left in the third quarter, the Buccaneers forced their fourth takeaway of the night and took over at the Chicago 37-yard line, trailing by just four points. While the momentum had seemed to shift to Tampa Bay's sideline, it quickly swung back when two plays later, Johnson intercepted Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield's pass intended for tight end Cade Otton and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown.
"That's just who we are," Johnson said. "We always fight."
Johnson, tight in coverage, jumped Otton's route at the 33-yard line just before the ball reached its target and took off down the left side of the field. His lead blocker was defensive end Montez Sweat, who ensured Mayfield didn't have the opportunity to stop Johnson from recording his second career pick-six.
"We always talk about scoring on defense," Sweat said, "and when I saw the quarterback running, I ran too. I just got him out of the way.
"The play was great ... it was good to help him out with that moment."
While Johnson's moment certainly made the biggest splash Sunday night, earning him the lone game ball handed out by coach Ben Johnson in the locker room after the game, a plethora of defensive playmakers helped lead the Bears to their seventh win of the season.
It was Lewis, who played multiple positions in the secondary against Tampa Bay, who notched the Bears' first takeaway. In the final few minutes of the first half, Mayfield had the Buccaneers marching downfield and looking to cut into the Bears' 17-3 lead. But on first-and-10 from the Chicago 34-yard line, Lewis dove in front of a pass intended for receiver Tez Johnson to halt the drive and record his first interception as a Bear.
"Just trying to make the splash play to pick our team up, when we had turned the ball over a few times," Lewis said. "Defense needed to make the play, and I felt like I was just trying to do my job and go out there and make a play.
"It felt good. I need some more. I'm not satisfied with this one, but it felt good."
Beyond the takeaways, the Bears defense was flocking to the football throughout the night while also putting consistent pressure on Mayfield — a tone set most by defensive end Austin Booker and linebacker Devin Bush.
Booker's impact was felt all game, starting with a run stuff against running back Bucky Irving on the Buccaneers' first third-down attempt of the night. The third-year pro proceeded to record his fifth sack of the season — taking down Mayfield in the third quarter for another third-down stop.
"I mean, he's a hell of a player," defensive lineman James Lynch said of Booker. "I think that something that really sets his game apart from other people is just his effort. He's got all the tools to be a really good player, but you add that effort in there, and he's different. It's fun to watch him do his thing."
Bush showcased his speed and physicality, finishing the game with a team-high nine tackles, including a tackle-for-loss against running back Kenneth Gainwell on a third-and-goal play from the 3-yard line that kept Tampa Bay out of the end zone at the start of the second quarter.
The next time the Buccaneers had the ball, Bush and Lynch stopped Mayfield's sneak attempt on fourth-and-1, forcing a turnover on downs. Bush added a pair of pass breakups, one of which also came on a third-down attempt and led to a punt.
"You see how fast he is," Lynch said of Bush. "He can be everywhere on the field. He's physical, so whenever his chance is there, he's gonna make the play. it's just fun to watch the fellas ball out. You can tell they love to play ball, and when you have guys that do that, you're gonna have a good defense."
The defense also continued their strong third-down play, allowing just conversions on 12 attempts. On the season, the Bears have allowed just 21 third-down conversions, the fewest by any defense through Week 9 and the second-fewest through nine games by any NFL defense since at least 1991.
Lynch believes the group's ability to get off the field in crucial moments, no matter the circumstance, comes from how close the unit has become.
"We have a lot of guys that are willing to put the team first," Lynch said. "We don't have any selfish players. That really shows when someone makes a play, how happy everyone is for them.
"There's no separation, like we're all one unit, and we're still working towards that, obviously, and gelling even more. But everyone wants to win, and that really is all that matters."
The newest Bear, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, fits that unselfish bill as well, as shown by his immediate impact in just two games. After recording his first sack as a Bear last Monday night in Seattle, the All-Pro recorded another one Sunday night midway through the fourth quarter, followed immediately by Daniel Hardy and Grady Jarrett combining for another sack.
The impact plays Simmons and the Bears defense made helped pick up quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense — opportunities the veteran tackle takes great pride in.
"It's our job just to go out there and just draw the line," Simmons said. "That's what we're gonna continue to do, just have [Williams'] back. And when we put a complete game together, good luck."
While no one in the locker room was satisfied with how the win came about, the defense walked off the field proud of their ability to remain resilient through all 60 minutes, allowing the Bears to head into the bye week on a four-game winning streak.
"You want to be able to be prepared for those moments, and it isn't what you want, but it's also like, 'put it on us,'" Lynch said. "Let us take care of the team and finish this game.
"Obviously, we got stuff we gotta work on, and it wasn't perfect, but it's a chance to go play football, and you can't take that for granted."
