Despite rumors circulating regarding tenuous job security, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker isn’t coaching like a man fearful of losing his job, according to defensive end Willie Young.

“Mel Tucker, he’s been consistent since Day 1,” Young said Tuesday night during “Chicago’s GameNight” show on ESPN 1000. “Mel has not changed one bit, nor did I expect him to change one bit. We had a meeting Monday and the biggest thing we know is we know the things we can control and the things we can’t control, and Mel does a really good job of leaving that in our control. I think he’s respected throughout the entire defense. He puts us in the best possible situations to make plays and to try to contain guys. He hasn’t changed one bit as far as the rumors out there or whatever it might be.”

Mel Tucker's Bears defense is having another tough season, but a rugged schedule could be partially to blame. AP Photo/Scott Boehm

Obviously, the results haven’t panned out the way the team expected coming off a historically bad defensive performance in 2013, when the Bears ranked last in run defense, sacks and yards per play allowed.

The Bears allowed the most points in franchise history (478) in 2013 as well as total yards (6,313) and rushing yards (2,583), and we all remember the way the team’s season came to a disappointing end on a mental bust in the secondary.

Despite a revamped front four in 2014, not to mention several additions made in the secondary and up front through the draft and free agency, the Bears continue to struggle, ranking 28th in total yards (377.8 per game), 30th in passing yards (265.5), 16th in rushing yards (112.3) and last in points allowed (29.1). Some of the 378 points allowed by the defense this season can be credited to Chicago's offense. After all, opponents have scored a total of 92 points off the Bears' 25 turnovers.

“The big plays that you see the defense give up, the teams that we’ve played this year are all just about contesting for a playoff shot,” Young said. “You can just start naming them off. Miami, they’ve been playing some pretty good ball over there. You’ve got New England. That’s a no-brainer. You’ve got the Packers twice. You’ve got Detroit. They’re in the race for the wild card. Everybody that we’ve played this year, those teams have been together for a while.”

All of Chicago’s losses came against teams that are currently leading their divisions, in contention for division titles, or are still in the hunt for a postseason berth. The combined record of the teams defeating Chicago this season is 56-34-1, a group that includes four teams that currently own at least nine victories (Dallas, Detroit, New England and Green Bay) with three games remaining.

“I feel that a lot of the plays we gave up, it’s not that guys weren’t covered or guys didn’t know where they were supposed to be,” Young said. “You had some instances where … for instance, the Dallas game, where I come off the edge free and [Tony] Romo just somehow eludes me outside, and lobs this ball up into the air. That ball was off the fingertips of [safety Chris] Conte, I think it might have been. It was just like, wow. That was a touchdown pass, I think it might’ve been. So those are the kinds of plays we’ve been dealing with this year. Not having Charles Tillman back there, not having Lance Briggs, it’s not excuses. But it obviously has an impact on this team.”

Tillman made similar remarks Monday during “The Brandon Marshall Show” on ESPN 1000, and called the team’s 2014 campaign his most frustrating season as a pro.

“Just frustrating from the standpoint of no matter what you do, nothing’s going our way,” Tillman said. “It happens like that. That’s our business.”