The Chicago Bears held their voluntary three day veteran minicamp from on April 19 through April 21.
On the second day of practices, one top insider covering the team notice something fairly significant about the way the group was playing and responding to new head coach Matt Eberflus. On April 20, insider Adam Hoge of CHGO Sports tweeted out what he referred to as a “key” practice observation:
“After a dropped pass, the ball was immediately picked up by the defense and the entire unit went into return mode as if it was a fumble,” Hoge noted, adding: “Expect the D to go after every ball on the ground, like they did in the Lovie days.”
That’s a reference, of course, to former Bears head coach Lovie Smith, now the coach of the Houston Texans. Smith coached the Bears from 2004-12, going 81-63 in that span while also being the last head coach to take the Bears to the Super Bowl, which he did after the team’s 13–3 season in 2006.
During Smith’s tenure, the Bears defense, led by former All-Pro linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, along with Charles Tillman in the secondary, became known for its uncanny ability to take the ball away from opposing offenses. The Bears led the NFL with 310 takeaways under Smith, with his Cover 2 defense flying to the ball on every play. According to Hoge, this current group reminded him of the way the Bears’ D looked under Smith — and that’s a very good thing.
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Eberflus Pushing His H.I.T.S. Principle in Big Way
Eberflus, who served as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-21 before getting hired as Chicago’s new head coach in January, brought his H.I.T.S. principle with him, and based on Hoge’s tweet, it sounds as though it’s making a big difference. It’s an acronym that stands for “Hustle, Intensity, Taking the ball away and Playing situationally smart football,” and it’s something the players say they’re hearing about regularly.
“When I first met the coaches, all they said was H.I.T.S. principle,” Bears defensive end Trevis Gipson told the media on April 19. “That was the first week going on to second week, H.I.T.S. principle. Third week. We heard it yesterday. We’re hearing it today. I’m hearing it even walking down the halls. I think it’s getting bred into our defense and our offense, and I think we’re going to have a fantastic year.”
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Eberflus Wants Team to Get Back to the Basics
“What we’re teaching them and what we’re telling them is that it’s winning football,” Eberflus said on April 19 about what he and his staff are trying to instill in their new team. “It’s the rudiments of the game. It’s about blocking and tackling. It’s about doing the simple things better than anybody else does. They’ve been good.”
The new Bears coach is also emphasizing putting players in the best possible positions to succeed. “We’re looking to see what guys do best,” he added.
It’s early, and it’s only April, but Bears Nation has to be encouraged by the early returns coming out of Halas Hall.
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