Who Is the Chicago Bears’ Most Underrated Playmaker?
Published by Matt Eurich on June 19, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Few things went right for the Chicago Bears‘ defense during former head coach Marc Trestman’s tenure from 2013 to 2014, but veteran defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff quietly put up impressive numbers in defensive coordinator Mel Tucker’s 4-3 scheme.
Even though he turns 34 years old later this summer, Ratliff is one of the team’s most underrated playmakers.
He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 draft by the Dallas Cowboys and was named to four straight Pro Bowls between 2008 and 2011. During his time in Dallas he registered 228 tackles and 27 sacks, but he suffered a groin injury in 2012 and was eventually released by the team in October 2013.
The Bears signed him that November, and he appeared in the final five games of the season. He re-signed with the team last offseason, and even though he missed five games due to injury, he still put up impressive numbers for an aging defensive tackle.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ratliff finished last season as the league’s sixth-best defensive tackle with a plus-20.5 overall grade, including a plus-10.4 pass rush grade.
He spent the year as Chicago’s primary 3-technique defensive tackle in its 4-3 defense, but he has the ability to play both nose tackle and the 5-technique defensive end position in Chicago’s new 3-4 defense this season. He has made it known this offseason he will play wherever the team wants him to play in 2015.
“I come in here with an open mind, ready to be adaptable,” said Ratliff, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. “Wherever they need me, I’m just going to put my best foot forward and learn it. That’s all.”
The Bears drafted Florida State’s Eddie Goldman in the second round of this year’s draft to play the nose tackle position, and following the release of Ray McDonald earlier this offseason, Ratliff looks like one of the team’s best options at the 5-technique.
Even though he looks like the best option on the outside, Chicago’s defensive alignments will not be set in stone this season. According to Ratliff, he has been playing all over the defensive line this offseason.
“Playing multiple roles, that’s what we’re all doing, and everyone is able to do that and know what’s going on,” he said, according to Arthur Arkush of ChicagoFootball.com. “That’s what we’re going to need, when you have your younger guys coming in. It’s a good feeling to be a part of this defensive line.”
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme is labeled as a 3-4, but he likes to move his players around and use various different looks. Ratliff should benefit from Fangio’s system because he will be able to utilize his skill set at a couple of different positions.
While he has the ability to be an anchor against the run, the veteran lineman is at his best when asked to get after the quarterback.
He plays with great technique, and that was on display last season when the Bears took on the Miami Dolphins in Week 7. On the first play from scrimmage, Ratliff lined up at the 3-technique defensive tackle spot opposite of the outside shoulder of the right guard:
He got off the ball quickly and was able to dip to the inside of the guard and work his way toward quarterback Ryan Tannehill:
Tannehill attempted to slide to his right, but Ratliff used a swim move to cross in front of the guard and was able to take Tannehill down for the sack:
The veteran lineman finished the game with 3.5 sacks, and he received praise from Tucker for his performance.
“He is a straightforward guy,” Tucker said at the time, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “He has been relentless for us. The guy is a player. He helps us when he’s out there.”
Ratliff knows how to gain leverage off the snap of the ball and does a great job of shedding blockers. He has a good swim move and can also beat opposing offensive linemen with his bull rush.
He is strong and powerful against the run and does a nice job of disengaging from offensive linemen. In Week 16 last season against the Detroit Lions, Ratliff lined up at the 3-technique spot opposite of Lions guard Larry Warford:
Warford initially gained leverage off the snap of the football, but Ratliff was able to disengage from the young guard just as running back Reggie Bush was making his way up the middle:
Ratliff was able to break free from Warford and helped take Bush down after a minimal gain:
He is often commended for his pass-rushing ability, but he is an underrated run-stopper. According to Pro Football Focus, Ratliff finished last season with a plus-7.0 run grade, and he had 19 tackles against the run on 164 snaps.
One of the reasons why he has flown under the radar in Chicago is because of his injury history. He missed a total of five games last season due to a concussion and a knee injury, and he will need to stay healthy in order for the team’s defense to function at a high level.
Ratliff has also been an underrated piece of Chicago’s defense over the course of the last two seasons because he plays an unheralded position, and as he enters his 11th year in the league, winning is the most important thing to him.
“The reason I’m still playing, point blank, is to win,” he said, according to Arkush. “I need that feeling before I leave this game. What, one playoff game in 11 years? Screw all the Pro Bowls. I need that feeling of winning just one time.”
If Ratliff can stay healthy in 2015, he has a chance to reinvent himself as a playmaker in Fangio’s 3-4 defense because of all the different places he can line up along the defensive line. He will get the majority of the reps on the outside at defensive end, but he will also have a chance to move inside in certain sub-packages to help create pressure up the middle.
He may be one of the oldest players on Chicago’s roster, but he makes big plays and is one of the team’s most consistent contributors against both the pass and the run. If he can continue to be a consistent presence along Chicago’s defensive line in 2015, he could have a chance to add a couple more playoff games to his resume this season.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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