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The 2018 Chicago Bears Finish as the Top Secondary in the Last 20 Years
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- The 2018 Chicago Bears Finish as the Top Secondary in the Last 20 Years
The Chicago Bears ' 2025 season instilled hope and excitement for fans.
Under coach Ben Johnson , the Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers twice. Unforgettable fourth-quarter comebacks sealed both games, a theme for the entire year.
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Chicago's defense also led the league with 33 takeaways, while Johnson's offense produced explosive chunk plays.
Bears fans experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, something the fanbase hasn't felt since the 2018 season. Matt Nagy led his team to 12 wins, clinching the NFC North. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's unit forced 36 takeaways, the most in the NFL.
The defense was the strength of that 2018 team. Edge rusher Khalil Mack and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks led the team's pass rush, registering 12.5 and 7.5 sacks, respectively.
Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan manned the linebacker positions.
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And the secondary had some ball hawks. Six defensive backs finished with at least one interception. Cornerback Kyle Fuller led the team with seven. Eddie Jackson recorded six (including two pick-6s). Cornerback Prince Amkamara intercepted three passes, while nickel corner Bryce Callahan and safety Adrian Amos each added two more. Backup cornerback Sherrick McMannis registered one pick.
The 2018 Bears' secondary finished with the highest single-season position group grade recorded by Pro Football Focus position over the last 20 years (93.7).
"This position group is undoubtedly the biggest shock of all. To unseat the Legion of Boom Seahawks is a remarkable feat, but digging deeper into the 2018 Bears helps explain why. The group led the NFL in defensive EPA per play that season, as all seven secondary members to play 200 or more snaps earned at least a 75.8 overall grade. The unit was paced by Eddie Jackson's 94.7 PFF coverage grade, which tied the best mark for a safety in PFF history.
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Those 2013 Seahawks — with Richard Sherman , Earl Thomas III and Kam Chancellor — narrowly missed first place with a 92.8 overall mark. Other headliners were the champion 2008 Steelers at a 91.7 as well as the 2017 Bills, who notched a 91.1 thanks to Tre'Davious White, Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde."
In addition to Jackson's interceptions , he also forced two fumbles, returning one for a touchdown. Jackson, Fuller and Mack were named first-team All-Pros and were selected to the Pro Bowl.
The 2018 Bears' secondary will most likely get overlooked by other units in recent history, but the position group has held on to the top PFF grade for the last eight years, reminding everyone of its place in the NFL.
