Bears DC Dennis Allen gets praise from Sean McVay after loss vs. Rams
Sunday’s divisional playoff game between the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams was a hotly contested chess match between the two coaching staffs. Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula took turns gaining momentum on each other, while Rams head coach Sean McVay did his best to outplay Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
In the end, McVay was the winner, but it wasn’t easy at all. After the game ended with Rams kicker Harrison Mevis drilling the game-winning field goal to send Los Angeles to the NFC championship game, McVay made sure to find Allen to deliver a message. “Hey, amazing job. You kicked our ass. Great job, man. Much respect for you.”
McVay wasn’t wrong, as Allen had one of his best coaching days as the Bears’ defensive coordinator all season long. The Bears held the Rams to just two touchdowns all day (fewest since Week 6) and held them to 340 total yards (fewest since Week 12). Allen had quarterback Matthew Stafford struggling with corner blitzes and disguised fronts at times while limiting the effectiveness of receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
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The other notable exchange at that time was the handshake between McVay and Johnson, something that has been on people’s minds since last week’s “hug” with Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur. Johnson gave McVay some words of encouragement during a brief exchange. “It’s a hell of a job, man. Go win one,” Johnson told McVay. “Yeah, I appreciate it, man,” the Rams coach responded. After much discussion, a cordial greeting was extended regarding McVay’s friendship with LaFleur.
Although it wasn’t enough to push the Bears to the next round of the playoffs, the defense did its job and Allen deserves credit for the coaching work he demonstrated. To his credit, McVay recognized him immediately and gave the Bears his props.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears DC Dennis Allen receives praise from Sean McVay after loss to Rams.
