Chicago Bears defense is key for Caleb Williams to shine, says Super Bowl champ who dominated Patrick Mahomes and Co
SUPER Bowl champion Ndamukong Suh thinks the Chicago Bears defense is the key for rookie Caleb Williams to reach his potential.
Suh, 37, had Patrick Mahomes running for his life in the Super Bowl which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won three years ago.
The former defensive powerhouse knows firsthand the role of the defense in helping a quarterback.
His Buccaneers team sacked Mahomes three times and picked off the Chiefs quarterback twice in a 31-9 Super Bowl domination.
Suh spoke to The Sun in London, where he is working on Sky Sports’ broadcast of the Bears vs Jaguars in the United Kingdom.
And he said, “The Bears defense has been huge.
“They seem to be getting off the field and giving the offense a lot of opportunities to score points.
“It’s about time of possession and opportunities to score.
“But if you can be close to 17 points or below, you’re most likely to win the game and be a top-five defense as well.”
The Bears flew to London for a showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 3-2 record.
Chicago’s offense has showed steady improvement through five weeks.
Rookie No. 1 overall pick Williams has grown into his role with offensive weapons Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze at his disposal.
“Expectations are always going to be high on a No. 1 pick,” Suh admitted.
“But ultimately you’ve got to find your own footing and ultimately be a cornerstone of the organization as you grow into that position and be a true leader at the end of the day.
“You have to understand what’s going on on special teams and offense but I wasn’t in those meeting rooms to have opinions on those different pieces.
“All I could do was positively influence and support the defence.
“You may not be a high-powered offense, but as long as you give the points needed and we’re able to eliminate the points a lot of teams score.”
'Like a marriage'
CHICAGO Bears legend Charles Tillman thinks the relationship between the offense and defense is like a marriage.
Tillman played 11 years for the Bears between 2003 and 2014 and was a two-time Pro Bowler.
He told The Sun, “We know our offense hasn’t been doing their best, they’re learning and a young offense.
The defense has stepped up their game.
“It’s no different that in a relationship or a marriage.
“If one person isn’t doing their part or is sick, the other person has to do a little more to help them out.”
The Bears defense has yet to concede 20 points in a game and been a bedrock for their success.
And Suh had similar experience of being on a team with a high-powered offense when he starred on the Bucs team which Tom Brady led to Super Bowl glory.
“If you want to win a championship, you’ve got to have a great defense,” he declared.
“I think that’s what Tom Brady saw when he came to Tampa.
“Tom made his decision to come to Tampa Bay based on that defense already being in place.
“He plugged in and replaced Jameis Winston with an elite core of wide receivers and great running backs.”