LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears defense that accepted punishment week after week last season appears to be ancient history heading into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field.

Even when it actually does get beaten up physically, the Bears defense has stood its ground. Injuries or illness have cost them time at some point at eight of the 11 starting positions as well as starting nickel back, but the Bears enter the game against Miami ranked 16th overall, and 10th against the run a year after ranking last in the league.

It’s all part of a recommitment this year to the old defensive mentality of being physically aggressive against the run before getting upfield in the pass rush.

“We’re trying to hit people,” defensive end Jared Allen said. “It shows throughout the league all the time that the more physical team tends to win.

“It might be in small situational areas, but I thought last week our DBs did a great job of contesting throws, balls. If they’re going to catch the ball, they’re going to pay for it. That kind of mentality.”

Delivering the big hit has been the approach all year, whether it’s in the secondary or along the defensive front only one year after the Bears looked like a finesse defense defense in the mold of many of Lovie Smith’s cover-2 style defenses.

“Obviously we want to be physical in the game at every position,” defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. “There are a lot of things that we talk about that defenses can’t do nowadays. But we talk about what we can do and what we can do is we can be physical and we can hit legally and deliver blows.

“I think that’s what you have to do on the defensive side of the ball is you have to be physical and I think we attempted to do that and sometimes we were physical and we’ve been physical throughout the season.”

The aggressive mentality has suited defensive end Willie Young well. He has gone essentially from a spare part in Detroit to leading the NFL in sacks with seven.

“We’ve got to hit them a little bit harder, choke them out a little bit longer,” Young said. “That’s just my mentality personally, and continue to be aggressive and continue to attack, just be dominant. Take over.”

With defensive tackle Stephen Paea (four sacks) playing at a higher level than any time in his career and the defensive front more stout against the run after Jay Ratliff returned from a concussion, there is anticipation they could be building toward becoming one of the more formidable groups in the NFC when the goal originally was thought to be playing average to complement one of the league’s most potent offenses.

Even losing all three linebackers last week seemed to do little to slow the Bears when facing an Atlanta offense ranked among the league’s best.

It’s anyone’s guess whether backup linebackers Christian Jones, Khaseem Greene and Darryl Sharpton will be pressed into service Sunday against Miami, since Lance Briggs (ribs), Jonathan Bostic (back) and D.J Williams (neck) were unable to practice early in the week. Regardless, the performance of the young linebackers gave instilled confidence.

“I think what it does, it gives us the sense that we’ve got guys that are capable of playing,” coach Marc Trestman said. “I think that irrespective of that, when D.J. and when Lance comes back is exclusive of this.

“If it works out that way, certainly we have to feel pretty good about the fact we’ve got guys that have now played and had some success, and we’re certainly interested to see how they do the next time around.”

Facing Miami presents the Bears defense again with the problem of rushing the passer while also worrying about a read-option offense. They failed at it in the season-opening loss to Buffalo, after that it was a different story.

“I think we’ve got reason to be very confident about it,” Trestman said. “We played pretty well against Geno (Smith), we played pretty well against the Jets, and we handled it pretty well against Colin (Kaepernick) in San Francisco.

“We’ve had a lot of work on it in the course of the first month of the season. We didn’t have to work on it last week, but there’s a lot of carryover.”

Facing a threat to pass or run downfield like Ryan Tannehill puts more stress on the defensive front. Whether it’s Lamarr Houston, Paea or even one of the game’s best sack artists over the past decade, Allen, they say the focus remains stopping the run first and then getting to the passer.

“I’ve always understood the process and was taught you have to earn the right to rush the passer,” Allen said. “You go out there and start free-styling and trying to rush the QB you’re going to get gashed and you’re counter productive.”

SERIES HISTORY: 12th regular-season meeting. Dolphins lead series, 7-4. Miami won the last game played in Chicago, 31-13 in 2006. The Bears won the last matchup in Miami in 2010, 16-0, in a game facing wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

MEDICAL WATCH: LB Lance Briggs (ribs), S Chris Conte (shoulder), OT Jordan Mills (foot) and LB D.J. Williams (neck) sat out Wednesday’s practice. LT Jermon Bushrod (knee, ankle) and LB Jon Bostic (back) were limited.

GAME PLAN: Offensively the Bears will only be able to pick up big chunks in the passing game like last week if they work more maximum protection for Cutler, and keep a tight end in to help at times on the blind side. They’ll need to work tight end Martellus Bennett more on shorter routes. The attack will become more horizontal, and the running game will try to work more slanting off the edge or with counter plays than in the last two games. Screen passes and zero routes can also work well against Miami. Ball control should be the order of the day for the Bears because Miami’s offense wants to run up-tempo and play like the Eagles — but it has to be ball control with point production.

Defensively the blitzing that was so effective last week in stopping both Atlanta’s pass and running attacks will have to be replaced more by the same patient, conservative approach up front they showed against San Francisco. If out of their assignment lanes, they’ll easily be gashed by Ryan Tannehill running or handing off on the read-option. The defense has to focus on shutting down first down runs or short passes, and being strong overall on first down. Tannehill is among the league’s worst third-down passers (74.1 rating on third down) and if kept in third-and-long situations they can keep him feeling uncomfortable and away from his strength.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Bears LT Jermon Bushrod, who is coming off an ankle sprain/knee sprain that kept him out two games, vs. Dolphins LB Cameron Wake, who has 3.5 sacks. Wake can dominate with his rush and if Bushrod has a setback later in the week with his ankle or knee injuries, it could be a long day for backup Michael Ola. However, Bushrod could be in a difficult spot trying to contain Wake on a bad ankle or knee.

Bears WR Alshon Jeffery, who is coming off 233 total receiving yards the past two weeks, against Dolphins CB Cortland Finnegan, who has three passes deflected and a fumble recovery for the year. Finnegan likes to talk and get physical and harass. Jeffery is a quiet, young player who plays physical and will need to be more aggressive against Finnegan without going over the line. In the past, Jeffery could be taken out of his game by a mouthy, physical type. He’ll have to show he has matured in his third season.

Bears DE Lamarr Houston, who is without a sack, against Dolphins rookie right tackle Ja’Wuan James, who has allowed just one sack so far. Houston’s aim is not necessarily to get the sacks, but is the key defender on read-option and has to be stout and smart with his assignment. James, at 6-6, 315 pounds isn’t necessarily the type to overpower Houston, who counts strength among his biggest assets. If Houston stands his ground, the Dolphins could be forced into a drop-back passing game all game long and that’s not the way they can beat the Bears defense.