Bears pass rusher Montez Sweat has been quiet recently – here’s why he’s the key against Minnesota

LAKE FOREST – When the Chicago Bears defense plays well, it’s usually because Montez Sweat is disrupting the opposing quarterback. The Bears currently are on a four-game losing streak, and Sweat hasn’t sacked the quarterback in the past three games.

Sweat’s last sack came Oct. 27 against the Washington Commanders, in the game where Jayden Daniels threw a game-winning Hail Mary at the end. He recorded three quarterback hits in that contest. He also injured his shin, which caused him to miss the following game in Arizona.

In his last two games, Sweat has just one QB hit and no sacks.

“We’re on a what, three- to four-game losing streak?” Sweat said Thursday at Halas Hall. “I’m pretty [expletive] frustrated. So yeah.”

We’re on a what, three- to four-game losing streak? I’m pretty [expletive] frustrated. So yeah.”

—  Montez Sweat, Bears defensive end

It’s no surprise that frustration is starting to set in. This Bears team was 4-2 at one point. A four-game losing streak has sunk their playoff chances to near zero. The Hail Mary was the first back-breaking defeat. Then the Bears had two uninspiring losses against Arizona and New England.

Finally, the team lost to Green Bay, yet again in epic fashion. The Packers blocked the Bears’ game-winning field goal try as time expired Sunday at Soldier Field.

Although the Bears defense played well against Green Bay – until the final minutes, at least – Sweat’s presence was notably absent. He played his highest snap rate in weeks (78% of defensive plays), yet he never touched the quarterback and recorded just one assisted tackle.

“Yeah, it gets to me a little bit,” Sweat said. “As pass rushers, we look at numbers, and we know that we’re judged upon our numbers and stats. But I know it’s just one bump in the road. Just got to keep going.”

As a team, the Bears have only two sacks over the past two weeks since defensive tackle Andrew Billings went down with a season-ending pectoral injury. This is not all on Sweat. Billings helped all aspects of the Bears’ defensive, the run and the pass. His loss was not insignificant.

But the Bears front four needs to be better. There still are elite players on that front line, including Sweat and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. It has to be a group effort.

“The things about Montez, when you’re around him, whether it’s his production or someone else, he wants to see the team and the group succeed,” defensive line coach Travis Smith said. “It’s not just about him individually. Obviously, everyone wants the numbers. But what we all, when you talk about frustrations, what we’re looking for – the No. 1 goal is to win.”

The Bears will need their front four to be effective this week against the Minnesota Vikings. For the most part, teams have avoided blitzing quarterback Sam Darnold because the veteran is making defenses pay for it when they send extra rushers.

Darnold has a 144.3 passer rating against the blitz, compared to 83.4 when the defense doesn’t blitz. He has 10 touchdown passes and one interception against the blitz, compared to nine touchdowns and nine interceptions when the defense doesn’t blitz.

“That efficiency may be involved with the fact that he can really anticipate the coverage structure and the coverage premise of the defense,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said.

In other words, good things happen when defenses force Darnold to read the field. The Bears are a defense that doesn’t like to blitz. It will be more important than ever that the defensive line creates pressure without coach Matt Eberflus having to send extra rushers.

If Sweat can get back on track, the Bears will be in a great place against the Vikings.

“He’s pretty mobile, [more] than I thought he was,” Sweat said of Darnold. “But he’s great, he’s getting the ball out at an efficient rate and they’re putting up points.”

Smith, the defensive line coach, said he doesn’t see Sweat pressing. The Pro Bowl pass rushers has only 3.5 sacks on the season, but the Bears know those tend to come in bunches. And while Sweat might be frustrated, he’s certainly not alone.

“I think everybody in the locker room is sharing it,” Sweat said.