PFF reveals Bears’ biggest weakness entering 2025 NFL playoffs

Chicago Bears fans are hyped for the first playoff game at Soldier Field since 2018. They’re also hoping for a finish that isn’t doink-worthy.

It still feels too soon, doesn’t it?

If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the Ben Johnson-led Bears will be fun to watch on offense. Caleb Williams and his cast of playmaking youngsters will give the Green Bay Packers fits during their wild-card matchup on Saturday night.

However, it’s the other side of the ball — Dennis Allen’s defense — that has Bears fans biting their nails.

The biggest worry entering the Packers is whether Chicago’s defense has enough gas in its pass rush to consistently pressure Jordan Love. In fact, Pro Football Focus dubbed the pass rush the Bears’ biggest weakness entering the playoffs.

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Chicago Bears need more from their pass rush to make a serious Super Bowl run

“The Bears have outperformed all expectations in 2025, but it isn’t a fairytale story,” PFF’s Thomas Valentine wrote. “They’re legitimately one of the best teams in the NFL, and in a season where there isn’t a clear favorite, why not them? However, if there’s anything that could hold the Bears back, it’s their ability to rush the passer. Through 18 games, the Bears have 41 sacks, 19th-most in the NFL, but pressure opposing quarterbacks on just 32.2% of passing plays — 25th in the NFL.”

While most of Bears Nation will point to Allen and question whether he’s dialing up enough pressure, the reality is that it could simply be a talent issue right now. Chicago’s defense is composed mostly of solid yet unspectacular starters up front.

“When the playoffs come around, and you want to challenge for a Super Bowl, you need star power on the defensive line, — namely a player with the caliber of pressuring the quarterback half a dozen times throughout the game,” Valentine wrote. “The Bears have Montez Sweat (70.9 grade; 42nd) — who leads the team with 53 pressures — and Gervon Dexter Sr. (57.7 grade; 72nd) — who has 39 pressures — but neither exudes the necessary talent to constantly live in opposing backfields. Sweat has just three games with five or more pressures in 2025.”

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Sweat leads the Chicago Bears with 10 sacks, which is a fine total. But the drop off to the next Bear, Gervon Dexter, is pretty significant. Dexter has six sacks, which, again, is a good number for him. But he isn’t the kind of interior defender who can dominate a game as a pass rusher.

Austin Booker has 4.5 sacks and flashes exciting upside at times. However, if the Bears want to make a serious run in the playoffs, a complementary 10-sack guy opposite Sweat is critical. And they just don’t have that right now.

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