Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. was an arms length away from recording his first career takeaway during the Bears' Week 4 matchup with the Rams. Defensive end Montez Sweat strip-sacked Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and while Dexter fell into the pile to try and pick up the loose ball, nickel back Kyler Gordon came up with the recovery.

Dexter refused to miss out for a second week in a row, so when safety Jaquan Brisker jarred the ball loose from Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble in the second quarter Sunday at Soldier Field, the second-year pro was all over it.

"I tried to go get it, man," Dexter said. "Coach 'Flus joked around on one of the ones last week. I think Kyler beat me to it when 'Tez stripped the ball, so I had to get him this week."

Dexter's role in the first of three takeaways by the Bears in their 36-10 win over Carolina may take a back seat to the other splash plays he made, and for good reason. He recorded a team-high four quarterback hits on Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton and split a pair of sacks with Brisker and defensive end DeMarcus Walker.

Dexter first made his presence felt on the on the Panthers' third possession of the game. On second-and-16, Dexter highlighted his athleticism by chasing Dalton down from across the field, forcing him to scramble for just a three-yard gain.

On the ensuing third-down play, Dexter and Walker combined for the sack, which forced a punt.

"The term 'Dancing Bear' — that's what I'm seeing from him," Sweat said. "He's just sideline to sideline like a linebacker. He's just been relentless out there."

Dexter's next series of game-wrecking plays came with under four minutes to play in the first half. On second-and-5, Dexter and Gordon combined for a 7-yard sack. On the next play, Dexter came up with the fumble recovery.

His first career takeaway led to a D'Andre Swift touchdown and a 21-7 Bears lead.

"Gervon is performing at a high level," Sweat said. "He deserves everything that's coming his way. He works hard in the week, and it's been showing on Sundays."

Dexter has not only become a key playmaker for the Bears' talented defense, he's in the upper echelon of NFL defensive tackles. His team-leading four sacks this season rank second at his position, sitting just behind Giants Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence. He's also tied for first with Lawrence in quarterback hits with 10.

The Florida product's ascension dates back to his offseason training this spring, when he focused on changing his body composition and, in turn, lost about 10 pounds before gaining five back strictly in lean mass.

While the fruits of Dexter's labor are showing themselves on gameday, coach Matt Eberflus first noticed Dexter's new physique during training camp.

"Like I said when we got back from the summer, he came back in great shape," Eberflus told reporters Monday. "He changed his body and he really worked hard. And he really goes hard in practice. He's got his wind and conditioning part of it down and he really established that during training camp. He really does a good job of taking care of his body, so he's available.

"He does that really well and he just owned the position. I really think he's taken off that way, and he's got the athletic ability and determination to get that done. So, again this is week to week. He's building on some good performances and we'll see him hopefully go forward with it."

Back in the summer, Dexter set specific goals for himself this season: 8-plus sacks, 15-plus tackles-for-loss, Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. After his strong start to the season, Dexter' says his goals now "go up and up every week." To be able to raise that bar for himself after just fives games is a direct result of Dexter's mindset.

"It feels good to know that the work you put in during this offseason and during camp, that it's paying off," Dexter said, "but it's still a lot of stuff that I need to improve on and I'm still constantly working on.

"Once you put the work in, it'll always show. You can't cheat the game, so if you put the work in, it'll show on Sundays."