How Bears DC Dennis Allen has created a takeaway machine

Lake Forest, Ill. – Every week, like Chicago Bears As defensive coordinator Dennis Allen plans to attack his next opponent, he has often done so by getting creative.

It’s an equal challenge to go to the grocery store with an extensive list and find out that they have run out of the most important ingredients needed to make a recipe. The Bears’ injuries on defense have forced Allen’s unit into disarray. As the team’s situation has become more challenging during Chicago’s 10–4 start, Allen’s ability to adapt his defense to the available personnel has been in the spotlight.

It started at cornerback nahshon wrightJoe came in to provide depth for the Bears but has started 13 of 14 games this season. jaylon johnsonWright leads the team with three forced fumbles and is second with five interceptions,

CJ Gardner-Johnson He was signed in late October after being cut by the Texans and Ravens, and has filled the void at nickel cornerback, kyler gordonSoft tissue injuries are forcing him in and out of the lineup.

linebacker D’Marco Jackson From playing primarily on special teams to filling in tremaine edmonds From the end of November. Jackson has already earned game balls for his performances against Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and he is the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

The three starting reserves are players Allen and his defensive staff coached at previous stops. Allen’s eye for identifying players who can play dominant roles for a long period of time is a key component of why the Bears’ defense played its best game in years during a 31–3 defeat of the Browns. The unit boasts a league-leading 30 takeaways and a plus-20 turnover margin.

against green Bay Packers On Saturday night (8:20 ET, Fox), Allen’s chef-like abilities will be tested once again as the Bears aim to avenge their loss to their NFC North rival from Dec. 7 and make another jump to secure a spot in the postseason.

“It’s like trying to cook a meal,” Allen said. “Like, what ingredients do we have and then we’ll decide what the food will be. And I think that’s what we have to do there, and you try to figure out what are the skill sets of the players that you have available. Try to get them to be able to do things that they do well, try to minimize the time that you ask them to do things that maybe they’re not as good at.”

At the end In August, Jackson wasn’t sure where his football journey would go next. He was waived by New Orleans during roster cuts after spending the first three years of his career with the Saints. Shortly after being claimed by Chicago, Jackson received a message from Allen, who was eager to continue their journey together after coaching the linebacker for three seasons as New Orleans’ defensive coordinator.

Jackson understood that his role in Chicago would be on special teams, but when the Bears found themselves missing their top three linebackers – Edmunds, TJ Edwards And noah sewell – On November 21 against the Steelers, he took his first chance to start and ran with it.

Not only did Jackson make a team-high 15 tackles against Pittsburgh, but he also did so while taking on the responsibility of calling the defense.

“Every kid, you want to go out there and go right to the defense, and you want to be that guy, but honestly, it was just a special teams role for me, playing through special teams to keep my career alive,” Jackson said. “Because of some injuries, I finally got a chance to go out there and perform and I did.”

Bears HC Ben Johnson passes the game ball to his defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, former Saints HC.

@chicagobears pic.twitter.com/4DOZYcHvpV

– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) 19 October 2025

It’s a similar story for Wright, who was coached by Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris in Dallas and identified as a fit in Chicago in the spring. Gardner-Johnson’s history playing under Allen in New Orleans helped the Bears secure the versatile defensive back near midseason. Gardner-Johnson is third on the team in sacks (three) and fourth in interceptions (two).

“You’ve got coaches that know the personnel from the get-go and have some understanding of the scheme,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “So, it kind of helps to get on the field, but all three of those guys have made significant contributions to the team and our defense during the season. And that’s what you expect when you get involved in this.

“You know there’s going to be struggles. You know guys are going to be down. The special teams players you’re relying on at the beginning of the season start for you on offense and defense, and the practice squad players eventually step up and take on roles as well. So, it’s always a challenge. You’re trying to build as much depth as possible early in the season.”

In Allen’s first season with the Bears, Chicago is on pace to become one of the league’s best in forcing turnovers. According to ESPN Research, the Bears have committed 19.6% turnovers on their defensive drives this season, the second-highest turnover by any team in the last 10 seasons.

The Bears lead the league with 21 interceptions, largely due to safety Kevin Byrd IIIJoe leads the NFL with six. Allen has used the change in scheme to put players in position to capitalize on these opportunities.

“He’s not aggressive in any way,” Jaylon Johnson said. “To see him from the outside when he was at the Saints and see what we’re doing here, whether it’s through man [coverage]Be it through bombast and changes in appearance, [the scheme] “Really attacks the crimes and makes them themselves second-rate.”

Although Chicago has an almost even split between man (49%) and zone coverage (51%), the Bears have generated interceptions on 6.6% of their pass attempts against their zone, the most in the NFL by a wide margin (the Texans are second with 4.5%). Chicago’s 14 interceptions in zone defense are the most in the NFL, and that’s notable because the Bears run zone at the eighth-lowest rate in the NFL.

as the first time Head coach, Ben Johnson prioritized experience when looking for coordinators and position coaches to fill out his staff. In addition to being an experienced defensive coordinator, Allen had been a head coach in Oakland and New Orleans.

The chess match between Johnson’s offense and Allen’s defense has been played since training camp. The battles between them created follow-up conversations where both coaches served as sounding boards for each other.

“I think there’s a level of trust, and it’s earned over time,” Allen said. “I don’t know that it was necessarily that way from the beginning and yet I think my resume would say there’s a little bit of a trust level. But I appreciate the fact that they’ve given me an opportunity to really step up and do the things that I think we need to do to be successful defensively.”

“We really communicate on a daily basis about a lot of different things — what we’re doing defensively. Sometimes he has some ideas and thoughts. Some of them fit into what we’re trying to accomplish and we’re able to incorporate those things.”

This is something that players have also noticed.

“I think it’s definitely changed the dynamics and defense of the team to where it can really be [Johnson] Handles the offense and Coach Allen handles the defense,” Jaylon Johnson said. “As far as philosophy goes he gives DA what he wants and then he lets him be who he is because he’s done it at a high level for a very long time. I think it’s definitely been beneficial for both parties.”