Young providing pressure for Chicago Bears
Since he was at North Carolina State, Willie Young always had been a defensive end.
Until this year that is, when the Chicago Bears converted their 4-3 scheme into the 3-4 that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio prefers. That gave defensive end Willie Young a new identity.
He's now outside linebacker Willie Young.
But a Young by any other name can still get after the quarterback.
The 29-year-old, six-year veteran is the first Bears player, at any position, with a sack in four straight games since Julius Peppers did it in Games 10-13 during the 2010 season.
Young, as a defensive end, led the Bears with 10 sacks last season before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Game 15.
Young was clearly not 100 percent at the start of this season and that, combined with the position change, added up to a slow start. He had just 1 sack in the first nine games, including Week 3, when he was a healthy scratch.
But with 4½ sacks in his last four games, Young's total of 5½ sacks are second on the team to Lamarr Houston's 6. Young also is tied with Pernell McPhee for team honors with 18 quarterback pressures.
Houston's situation is similar to Young's. He had played mostly defensive end and also was coming off a season-ending injury, a torn ACL. He also has elevated his play lately with 5 sacks in the last six games after getting just 1 in the first seven.
Fangio had to wait awhile for both players to regain their previous forms, but their improvement has been noticeable.
"It's been gradual," Fangio said. "It's been a little bit each and every week. Once they got more and more playing time, they started feeling a little bit more comfortable and playing better and better."
Fangio doesn't have a problem with however Young wants to identify himself.
"I think we have a solid argument every day that I come into work about me being a defensive end or … that other thing," Young said in jest.
Informed that the 6-foot-5, 251-pounder wants to be called a defensive end, an amused Fangio said: "Right, well, whatever. He's the end man on the line of scrimmage, and whether you're in a 4-3, 3-4 or nickel, there's a ton of carry-over.
"I don't care if he says that. I'm sure that he's just having fun with you guys. He's doing what we ask him to do. It's no issue."
In the Bears' base 3-4, the outside linebackers are like stand-up defensive ends aligned in two-point stances.
In most passing situations, the Bears' nickel has two linemen on the line of scrimmage along with two outside linebackers in three-point stances with their hand in the dirt, which is what Young prefers.
Outside linebackers have more pass-coverage responsibilities than defensive ends, one of the more difficult transitions in the DE-to-OLB conversion.
But Young has the athleticism to drop into coverage, as he proved in the 37-13 rout of the Rams in St. Louis in mid-November, when he picked off a pass and returned it 39 yards.
"I'm definitely all about helping the team win," Young said after that game. "If I have to drop every now and then, that's fine."
He then added, loudly, pausing for effect: "I CAN'T drop EVERY time, but I'll drop every now and then."
He has made plays going forward and in reverse this season, which he says, isn't an issue.
"It should not be a question about my play-making ability," Young said. "It's just about me being able to be effective as a defensive end/slash/outside linebacker. (Another long pause) I said 'defensive end' first and 'outside linebacker' second."
But Young grudgingly concedes that his ability to line up at different positions could make him a more valuable player.
"Coming out of college, I was always a defensive end," he said. "Once I got to the NFL, I ended up having to be versatile. I think me just being the athlete that I am, blessed with the talents that I've been given, I'm just able to adapt to whatever the situation might be.
"In this particular case, I guess it's at another position."
But we won't mention that position by name.
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