The NFL season is constantly evolving. Week 4 arrives in Chicago with more optimism than most expected after a upset victory of the previously 2-0 Eagles on Monday night.
In this weekly series, I’ll feature one player from the Chicago Bears opponent on each side of the ball who I think is integral to their team’s success. Like seasons past, you won’t see any quarterbacks, as the nature of the position always makes them critical for a team’s success. I’ll also try and mix in a few under the radar players
from time to time.
Let’s start with the New York Jets offensive player that I will be focused on.
Offense: Armand Membou, #70 – RT
My initial thought was to roll with RB2 Braelon Allen as he is filling in for the injured stud Breece Hall. But knowing how Saquon balled against us last week and Philly still failed to put up more than 7 points, my thought process shifted to the outside weapons. Garrett Wilson is an obvious problem, and without first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr. and Adonai Mitchell, their WRs are average at best.
That brought me to Tight End Kenyon Sadiq, but our own Mongo Peanut already wrote up an excellent piece on the challenges he will present this week. Considering Sadiq is also Questionable to play in this game due to a leg injury, my focus shifted to the line where Membou will have to not only lead the charge in the run game, but also protect the edge in the passing game to afford Geno Smith some time to sit back in the pocket and find his weapons. At 22 years of age, Membou is already one of the top RTs in the league – thanks in large part to his pass blocking. Much like our Wright tackle, Membou made a name for himself coming out of the SEC in college where he stonewalled the top pass rushers entering the draft. Unlike Darnell Wright, Membou has yet to develop into the bully in the run game, though he has the size (6’4”, 332lb) and athleticism (4.91 40 – fastest for his size since 2003) to get the job done.
Not only will Membou look to keep Montez Sweat and Co. out of the pocket, but he will also be critical in establishing the run against a vulnerable Bears run defense. If he can do those things, Allen should keep the chains moving and Geno should have enough time to pick apart the secondary and get the ball to Wilson and Sadiq.
Defense: T’Vondre Sweat, #99 – DT
If you thought Membou was big, Sweat is even bigger. At 6’4”, 366 lbs, Sweat is a load in the middle of the defense that will give any interior offensive linemen trouble. Considering Garrett Bradberry struggles against beefier defensive linemen, Sweat could be a wrecking ball in this game. That said, Bradberry had his best game of the season last week against arguably the top DT tandem in the league in Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Davis, as a matter of fact, is no small human himself at 6’6”, 336 lb, but is more of a finesse player compared to Sweat. If someone over 330lb can be considered more finesse at anything, but I digress. Regardless of who lines up under center for Chicago, keeping the middle of the pocket clean will be paramount while also opening up holes in the run game for Swift and Monangai to run through. If Sweat can clog those lanes and push the pocket, it will force our QB out of the pocket where to 5 pick David Bailey and proven veteran Will McDonald will surely pounce. It will be hard to miss #99 in this one and if we can render him ineffective, we should successfully control the line of scrimmage and win this game.
