Chicago Bears: Chuck Pagano wants to build on defensive success

After the departure of Vic Fangio, the Chicago Bears set their sights on Chuck Pagano. Pagano doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel but to build on the success and improve the defense even more.

The Chicago Bears were fortunate to keep defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for the 2018 season. The team kept the continuity on defense while the offense was completely overhauled. As a result, the team had the most dominant defense in the NFL.

The Bears couldn’t hold onto Fangio any longer, however. He departed Chicago to become the Denver Broncos head coach. In addition to Fangio, just about every defensive coach left as well. The Bears were now left to overhaul the defensive coaching staff.

The Bears set their sights on hiring a new defensive coordinator. They soon set their sights on former Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. He also worked as the secondary coach and ultimately the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens between 2008-11.

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Pagano comes to Chicago not wanting to reinvent the wheel. He wants to build on the success of the defense. He’ll add a few of his own touches to try to make the unit even better. He wants to bring back the old Monsters of the Midway to wreak havoc like in the past (per ESPN):

"Our vision for this defense is to be the best. Can we be the best in the history of the game? The pieces are there and they will continue to add pieces. Can we continue to be better than we were last year? Absolutely. It’s going to be very, very difficult and a huge challenge, but one we will be up for."

Those are bold words for someone taking over a defense for a franchise like the Bears. This franchise is famous for its great defenses. The 1985 Chicago Bears defense is the benchmark for great defenses. Trying to get back to the glory of old is a pretty big charge, one that Pagano is ready to attack.

Pagano said he wanted a “KILL” attitude — no, it’s not what you think. It’s an acronym for “Keep It Likable and Learnable”. He said he wants the players to play fast and show their personalities.

Like Fangio, Pagano likes to move the players around, disguising his fronts and trying to confuse opposing offenses. The difference I think between the two coaches is that Pagano will be a bit more aggressive with his defense. There were times when Fangio had guys like Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd move into coverage. I think those guys will attack more in 2019.

For Mack that could mean another Defensive Player of the Year award. For Leonard, it could be a breakout season. One wouldn’t think that we could expect a defense like the one we saw in 2018 can actually improve. It could happen, however, and that is an exciting scenario for fans.