WARE, England — Opposing offenses have been highly aware of defensive end Montez Sweat all the way back to his time as a high school star in suburban Atlanta, so he’s always had to do a little extra to get past their various double teams, chips and other ploys to mitigate him.
It’s at a new level now — the highest one, in fact. Sweat’s emergence last season for the Bears, certified with 12 ½ sacks, a Pro Bowl selection and a $98 million contract, vaulted him to elite status and everything that comes with it. That includes offensive coordinators spending their entire week devising creative tactics.
That’s how it is for stars like Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt and Nick Bosa, and they all find ways to overcome it. With great pay comes great responsibility to get sacks, no matter what.
“I definitely feel the [increased] attention — the slides, the chips, the play going in the opposite direction,” Sweat said. “I embrace it, and lately I’ve been trying to watch the greats like T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and those types of players to see how they approach offensive game plans when they’re devoted to taking them out of the game.
“I’m still building upon that to be able to deal with that type of attention.”
While Sweat said it’s been “fun” to see teammates producing, he undoubtedly is unsatisfied with having two sacks and one other tackle for loss in five games.
Heading into the Bears’ game against the Jaguars on Sunday in London, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter leads the team with four sacks, followed by defensive end Darrell Taylor and Sweat with two each.
Nonetheless, it is difficult to quantify, but Sweat clearly has contributed to the Bears’ pass rush being better than expected.
The Bears, who had the fewest sacks in the league over the 2022 and ’23 seasons, are a respectable 11th this season with 14. They have pressured quarterbacks on 29.7% of their drop-backs, according to Pro Football Reference, and of the top 10 teams in that statistic, the Bears have blitzed the least often at 22.1%.
As far as Sweat’s individual impact as a pass rusher, coach Matt Eberflus expects he’ll meet the new challenge.
“He gets a little frustrated sometimes because they’re always chipping and banging, but he’s going to fight through it,” he said Friday at Hanbury Manor. “We’re going to set him up, too, so it’s going to be good.”
If Sweat ignites, it could push the Bears’ defense to a new height. They’ve been good so far, but still see areas where they aren’t yet operating at full capacity.
Sweat’s studies on the best pass rushers are serious. When asked for specifics on what he’s learned from film of Garrett and Watt, he recited extensive, detailed notes on their techniques.
He sees Garrett, a three-time All-Pro for the Browns, creating one-on-ones by switching whether he lines up on the left or right and the angles he uses to get past running backs when they chip him. Watt, the Steelers’ four-time All-Pro, uses stunts and other deceptive maneuvers in concert with his defensive tackles.
“Every rusher is great in their own aspect,” Sweat said. “They all have a signature move and a signature skillset to attack it. I just take away their approach and try to apply it to my game.”
Sweat brought his notes to the coaches, and perhaps Eberflus referred to some of them when he said the Bears will “set him up,” but he understands that the staff also must consider what works best for the defensive line at large.
Regardless of their route to it, they need to maximize Sweat. He’s arguably their most dangerous defensive player, and they’ve invested a team-high $25.1 million in him this season. He’s too important and expensive for his impact to be subtle. Sweat must be a force.