Can Dennis Allen’s Bears defense turn jeers into cheers?

Through two games, no NFL team has given up more points (79) than the Chicago Bears.

Allowing 52 of them in one game will do that.

There’s no rest for this weary, wounded and woebegone defense because the Dallas Cowboys, who are averaging 30 points and 392.5 yards a game, are coming to town Sunday for a national spotlight game.

Maybe the Park District could work its magic on the grass to slow down Dak Prescott’s unit. Or maybe the Bears D could use a refresher about the “HITS Principle.”

Otherwise, my main advice to Bears fans who are going to watch this game is: Bet the over. At least you can profit from your pain.

The Bears will be down cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who lasted about a quarter-and-a-half Sunday in his belated season debut and possible season exit, along with likely a handful of other starters and contributors, including linebacker T.J. Edwards, who also left Sunday’s game with a similar injury to the one plaguing him, and cornerback Kyler Gordon, who hasn’t suited up yet this season.

“Really, 90% of the world doesn’t give a care about your problems,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said Thursday. “The other 10% are glad you got ’em.”

I’m all for a folksy aphorism, but 100% of Bears players, coaches, executives and fans absolutely care about the Bears’ defensive problems right now. And when people are comparing you to “Mel Tucker” in Chicago, you’ve got a problem. (It’s a different kind of issue in East Lansing, Mich.)

Allen’s defense doesn’t look very aggressive with three sacks and one takeaway so far, while allowing a 75% completion rate in the air. Players were calling their performance embarrassing in Detroit, and who could argue?

They gave up 511 yards (on almost 9 yards per play) and seven touchdown drives at Ford Field, including a run-it-up score early in the fourth quarter. Receivers were wide open every which way, and now the understaffed secondary has to deal with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

Prescott is probably rewatching that Lions film like he’s catching Goodfellas on cable. Because so far, the Bears are 2-for-2 in helping opposing quarterbacks be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. I mean, Jameson Williams caught two passes for 108 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes and three were for touchdowns.

“It’s just the communication,” veteran safety Kevin Byard III said Thursday. “A lot of the big plays that they had, when you look at the big plays that they made, it was just miscommunication issues. Guys were running free down the field or just being able to finish on the ball. I think that’s not a skill thing, as far as, like, ‘Hey, we’re not talented enough.’ It’s more about just going out there, making those plays and having better communication.”

Allen said he needed to figure out a way to slow down the Cowboys receivers so the pass rush could at least make Prescott uncomfortable.

“Hopefully, we’ll have some looks that have him hold the ball a couple of extra counts and try to affect him that way,” he said.

So much for the defense being ahead of the offense in training camp. Maybe their performance says more about the Bears offense.

With former beleaguered Bears defensive coordinator (and head coach) Matt Eberflus coming back to town as the Dallas DC, Allen is tasked with trying to figure out how to keep his unit above water while hoping Ben Johnson’s offense scores enough points that we’ll be describing the game as a “shootout” instead of a “blowout.”

“He might throw a lot of curveballs at us,” Bears receiver DJ Moore said of his old ball coach. “Knowing him, he’ll do the zone concepts, so we’re gonna see a bunch of that. Hopefully, they’ll throw some man in there so we can go after them.”

Eberflus wouldn’t take the bait about facing his old team. I’m guessing he’s not eager to publicly revisit being the only Bears coach to get fired during a season. But at least he can say his defense never gave up 50 points in a game.

Whether or not he admits it publicly, this is a revenge game for Eberflus, whose good name was sullied by his failed tenure here and by general manager Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren canning him after Thanksgiving. All the anonymous coaches ripping Caleb Williams for last season can’t erase the record.

And it’s not like Eberflus’ Cowboys defense is wowing anyone. They’re as lousy as the Bears.

The Lions players were jazzed to run it up on Johnson, their old offensive coordinator who left to coach their inferior rival. After an interception, the defense ran Johnson’s “Stumble Bum” play in their end zone celebration. In general, they had a grand old time showing up their friend.

I’m not sure the Bears players left over from last season care enough about Eberflus to mock him. And they’re not in a position to make fun of anybody.

“When you have a game like we did on Sunday, man, it feels like the sky is falling, and that’s just to be real,” Byard said. “I just try to always remind the guys not to get too high or too low. We faced two really good teams at the start of this year. And sometimes these things happen.”

Bad things happen too often to the Bears lately. Johnson’s hire was supposed to change things, but I guess not right away.

At 0-2 the Bears obviously need to win this game. No one wants to get booed at home again. Fans don’t go through the hassle and expense of getting to Soldier Field to jeer instead of cheer.

I think Williams and the offense will score enough points against Eberflus’ defense, but Allen’s defense will need to find a way — whether it’s scheme or luck — to give the team a chance to win. It didn’t last week.

“I think if you’re in this league long enough, you’ve been in one of those types of games,” Allen said. “And so you make the corrections that you need to make and you come back in and you go to work, and that’s what you do. I mean, you get right back up on the horse. Let’s go ride again.”

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