The Bears’ Big Trade May Have Unlocked Something Else

Janik Eckardt writes that the Chicago Bears' acquisition of Jeffery Simmons could maximize edge rusher Montez Sweat's impact on defense. Returning from a two-game suspension, Sweat recorded a sack, three quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss in Chicago's 34-17 road victory against Seattle. Simmons, Sweat's former college teammate at Mississippi State, revealed after the game that he challenged Sweat to regain his top form.

Simmons' interior presence drew blocking attention and created one-on-one matchups on the edge, enabling defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to deploy the team's lowest blitz rate of the season at 20.5 percent while generating 14 pressures.