Bears defense learning how to finish fast

For Bears linebacker Nick Morrow, halftime isn’t just a chance to catch his breath and refuel. It’s a chance to get better. Whether it’s coach Matt Eberflus or defensive coordinator Alan Williams speaking, he’s listening. Only three games into the season, he believes they make a difference.

“It’s really cool,” Morrow said. “You’re sitting in the half-time meetings — whether we’re up or dropping a lot of points or whatever — and they’re always like, ‘Hey, look, we have to do this and that. We will adjust to that. They do this – let’s use this as an adjustment.”

“And they’ve worked together before, so you can see where they’re on the same page with that. They are really good at finding these customizations and helping us to implement them. And maybe it’s something we didn’t do a lot, so it’s like, ‘Hey, we did that back in boot camp or something.’ It’s the coolest thing to see them adapt on the fly.”

Players can already see it making a difference. That defense is still defining itself after allowing 10 points for the 49ers, 27 for the Packers and 20 for the Texans, but one common thread is encouraging — they were better in the second half than the first.

In fact, the Bears have conceded 45 points in the first half of this season but only 12 points after halftime. They’re one of three teams (along with the Bengals and Broncos) not to have conceded a second-half touchdown to date.

“We’re making adjustments… series by series. But half-time is very well organized for us,” said Eberflus. “We gave the players a lot of information from above – and [what] we do, I won’t reveal all that. But I think it’s very good and the players know exactly what’s coming in the second half in terms of what we’re going to call and how we’re going to attack in offense.

For players, they reap the rewards of hard work during the offseason and preseason. “The emphasis is on finishing no matter what practice we’re in,” said Morrow, who played his first five seasons in the NFL with the Raiders, “[individual drills], team phases, special teams, weight room – it’s all about finishing. I think it definitely shows.”

Defensive tackle Justin Jones, like Morrow, a newcomer to Eberflus defense, bought into Ebrerflus’ “bring your trainers” work ethic when he signed with the Bears. But now that he’s seen it in action, he has a much greater appreciation for it.

“What struck me here is that our training is a lot harder than the game,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m in a game, I just don’t get tired.

“I didn’t really see it at first. At first I’m like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna run, run, run, run, run.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, I see.’ But I see it now. I see it’s good that we did that. And it’s good that they stuck with it and didn’t lower the level [just] because people didn’t understand.

“We can do it. And we got it. And that’s why guys are conditioned. A lot of teams aren’t conditioned that way. So we are well positioned for the fourth quarter.”

The Bears’ resilience will be tested Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Giants. The Giants (2-1) have been a second-half offensive team this season, scoring 47 of their 56 points after halftime.

The battle lines are drawn but the Bears feel they have a lot to offer at half-time – preparation and the ability to get better.

“It’s fun,” Morrow said. “It gives you confidence because you know it doesn’t matter what happens out there, though [the coaches] don’t have an answer, they can work together to find one. So you’re not alone out there wondering what’s going on. It’s always complementary between how they communicate with each other and how they communicate with us – and that helps us play fast.”