The Chicago Bears will welcome a beaten up New York Jets team to Soldier Field on Sunday, looking to close out their current homestand with a two-game winning streak. The Jets will be down several key starters, most notably, running back Breece Hall, who is listed out week-to-week with a quad injury.
Chicago’s defense showed up in a big way to stifle the Philadelphia Eagles offense this past Monday night, leading to a shocking upset with Case Keenum as the starting quarterback. The defense that led the league in takeaways last season now has six in three games, and they have an opportunity to increase that total that total when taking on the Jets.
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Here are the top defensive keys for the Bears in Week 4:
In their two victories, the Bears have forced three takeaways each when defeating the Panthers and Eagles, so that’s the name of the game for the defense once again this Sunday. The Jets have been very clean with the football, committing just one turnover in their first three games, but with several key injuries on offense, things could be a bit tougher for them.
Given the injuries to Breece Hall, tight end Mason Taylor, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, the Jets are down a contributor at all three skill positions on offense. New York does have a serviceable backup running back who will take over as primary in Braelon Allen, but Chicago has an opportunity to really make it tough on the running game as Allen is not the same threat as Hall. If the Bears can force quarterback Geno Smith to try and beat them through the passing game, they should have plenty of opportunities to force turnovers and erratic play.
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Chicago has continued to have questions on their pass rush unit and are waiting on the big game from linebacker Devin Bush, but rookie safety Dillon Thieneman has paid off in full early on. Thieneman is just three games into his NFL career, but defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and secondary coach Al Harris need to let him play free and loose at the safety position. Thieneman is always near the ballcarrier or the football itself, and he should already be considered as the second most important defender behind Montez Sweat.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 keys for Bears defense in Week 4 matchup vs. Jets
