Khalil Mack is getting a ton of (deserved and well-earned) credit for the Chicago Bears defense reaching new heights in the first three weeks of the season, but that shouldn’t keep us from acknowledging two of the best defenders in football being right under our collective nose:
Akiem Hicks has been a force up front for the Bears so far in 2018. pic.twitter.com/WqtZ4SuvFx
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 25, 2018
Defensive end Akiem Hicks and nose tackle Eddie Goldman earned spots among Pro Football Focus’ five highest-graded run defenders among qualifying interior defensive linemen. And because no other team has two top-five run defenders anchoring the line of scrimmage, I suppose we could make a pretty darn compelling case that the Bears have the best front line in football. But if you don’t want to go that far, fine, but just know you had a chance to hop on the bandwagon at its most humble beginnings.
With Hicks and Goldman holding it down up front and pushing back against the run, it has helped eliminate half of an opposing offense’s possible playbook. Bears fans who sat through last year should have a special appreciation for what that group is doing. After all, we had a good look at what happens when a defense turns an offense one-dimensional. What the Bears are doing defensively in 2018 is what other defenses did to the Bears last year. Frankly, I’m here for returning the favor and find it quite comforting that the shoe is on the other foot now.
Making teams throw the ball against a pass-rusher like Mack and a secondary coming off a three-interception performance is everything you want out of a defense right now. And while it’s no surprise that Hicks and Goldman are taking their games to another level with Mack on the field, it’s not like these two weren’t getting the job done before. In fact, Hicks and Goldman have been putting in work against the run while next to each other since since the start of the 2016 season.
We know that the third year tends to be a charm for Vic Fangio defenses, it’s possible that we’re seeing a breakout as these two interior defensive lineman are playing their third season together. So as long as the offense struggles, the Bears could use as many breakout performances as they can get at every position on the field until Head Coach Matt Nagy gets the other side of the ball moving in the right direction.