It used to be that the Bears were known for stifling defense; and they could soon be dominant again under coordinator Vic Fangio.
As recently as 2012, Lovie Smith’s last season as head coach, the Bears had the No. 5 defense in yards allowed and were No. 3 in points allowed. But when Smith was fired after his 10-6 team fell just shy of the playoffs, he seemed to take the defense with him.
The Bears plummeted to 30th in yards allowed in each of the next two seasons under head coach Marc Trestman and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.