CHICAGO -- On Saturday evening as the Chicago Bears put a bow on their gameplan for the New Orleans Saints, defensive backs coach Al Harris gave his players a clear directive.
Four takeaways. That's where the bar has been set for Chicago's defense after pushing past an 0-2 start, which included one of the worst defensive performances in franchise history in a 52-21 loss at Detroit in Week 2. It's become a rallying cry for the Bears, who took the ball away four times against Dallas in Week 4 and four more times in Las Vegas one week later.
Maybe it was the byproduct of Chicago's three-takeaway performance in Washington six days ago that sparked Harris' premonition, but the 14-year NFL vet turned DBs coach knew exactly what his players were capable of producing in a 26-14 win over the Saints.
"I don't know (if) Al is some type of character from the Bible; he's been prophesizing," safety Kevin Byard III said. "I asked him what the quota [for takeaways] is, he said four. And we got four again."
What's happening on defense in Chicago is the catalyst behind the Bears' longest win streak in six years. The Bears lead the NFL with 16 takeaways and a +11 turnover margin despite having played six games due to a Week 5 bye. Chicago's 11 interceptions (including three against New Orleans) are its most over the first six games of the season since 2018.
"We don't win the game if [the defense doesn't] play that well," coach Ben Johnson said. "They just did an outstanding job.
"Kind of felt it over the course of the week there with the two practices that we were able to get in that schematically [defensive coordinator Dennis Allen] had some really good thoughts that were going to put some stress there on the offense. I thought that the defense, they just knew where to be, they knew what they were looking for, and it was huge."
The Bears defense set the tone in the first half at Soldier Field. Four of New Orleans' first eight drives ended with a takeaway, turnover on downs or missed field goal. Allen, the former Saints head coach (2022-24) who was fired last November, took advantage of Spencer Rattler's inexperience and dialed up an aggressive gameplan to defend the second-year quarterback.
Rattler turned the ball over four times, including three interceptions. He went 1-for-5 with an interception and four sacks while under pressure, the first of which resulted in Rattler fumbling the ball away after he was brought down by defensive end Montez Sweat.
"We definitely got the quarterback a little startled up early and I feel like he was rattled the rest of the game, so it was great," Sweat said.
Chicago forced six incompletions on Rattler's throws that were either batted at the line or defended down field. Entering Week 7, Chicago had forced ten incompletions on those throws all season.
The barrage of interceptions began early in the second quarter when cornerback Nahshon Wright undercut a dig route and made a diving interception. Wright hasn't played wide receiver since his junior college days in the Bay Area but sprung to his feet to return the ball 38 yards to set up Chicago's first touchdown of the game that gave the Bears a 13-0 lead.
It continued when Rattler threw a pass after running away from Sweat that Byard picked off with centimeters between himself and the boundary. Byard's four interceptions on the season are tied for the most in the NFL.
Rattler's last pick was one of those aforementioned passes that was tipped in the air by linebacker T.J. Edwards and caught by fellow linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
"We've got a method in place of how we want to practice it," Johnson said. "Dennis does a great job with instilling that confidence in those guys, putting them in the right spot.
"When the ball touches their hands, they're coming down with it. We really don't have many drops on that side of the ball. They're very conscious of it when it's a running play to try to punch that ball and get it out. It's just really working for us right now, and really our team needs it. It's really been the foundation of this last four-game stretch for us."
Johnson handed out one game ball postgame. It went to the coach who, earlier this week, Johnson called a "godsend," not just for the way he coordinates that Bears defense, but for the guidance he's provided Johnson in his first year as a head coach.
While Allen didn't buy into the revenge game angle when asked about facing his former team where he coached for 15 seasons, his words postgame after being mobbed by defensive players in celebration showed how personal this win was.
"Sometimes the good Lord just has a frickin' plan for you that you don't know about," Allen said. "And sometimes, you ain't good enough for somewhere else. That's perfectly fine. I love being here and I love being with this group of guys. You guys worked your damn ass off. But four (takeaways) ain't enough. Four ain't enough."
Four takeaways. Four sacks. Holding the Saints run game to 44 yards.
There's something about that number.
"It's special right now," Byard said. "I'm not going to make it seem like this has happened before, (that) I've ever been a part of that, so you got to keep it rolling. That's what we need to do to win games. That's what we're going to do."
