Chicago Bears: Do elite pass rushers bring more wins?

The Chicago Bears traded for Khalil Mack to help make the defense better. That’s a no-brainer. The bigger question though runs deeper.

How much can the three-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year help them win more football games? Everybody knows quarterbacks are the position that tends to affect the win column more than any other. Pass rushers are looked at as valuable tools but not players who are deserving of top tier money. At least not near the level of a quarterback.

People should bring up the tape of Mike Glennon before making such assumptions. Still, it’s a fair question. Does history support or deny the idea of elite rushers truly changing the fortunes of their new teams or is the impact largely minimal? To find an answer, one must seek out similar situations the Bears are facing with Mack. A great pass rusher switching teams in his physical prime.

There are four such cases that fit the criteria. To find a proper answer, two key stats are provided. First is the teams’ combined record in the three years prior to the player’s arrival and then the combined record in the three years after it. Is there an improvement? Is there more of the same? The results were fairly conclusive.

Reggie White (Green Bay Packers)

Arrived in 1993
Prior 3 years: 19-29
Next 3 years: 29-19
Went to NFC championship

Kevin Greene (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Arrived in 1993
Prior 3 years: 27-21
Next 3 years: 32-16
Went to Super Bowl

Julius Peppers (Chicago Bears)

Arrived in 2010
Prior 3 years: 23-25
Next 3 years: 29-19
Went to NFC championship

Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings)

Arrived in 2008
Prior 3 years: 23-25
Next 3 years: 28-20
Went to NFC championship

There’s no denying the facts. In each and every case the pass rusher had an impact in the fortunes of their respective team. Each saw an improved combined record overall and even more interestingly, all of those teams played in at least a conference championship within the three-year window. That’s a rather startling revelation and more good news for Chicago.

The Bears have always been at their best when they have great defenses and they haven’t had great defenses without great pass rushers. Doug Atkins. Richard Dent. Peppers. Now Mack joins that legacy. Given the other improvements they’ve made on the roster over the past few months, for the first time, it feels like this team is genuinely ready to win.

Something they haven’t done in six years. It won’t be easy. Their division is stacked from top to bottom with good teams and really good-to-great quarterbacks. That’s why they got Mack and paid him what he wanted. To make life on the field hell for them.

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