It is time! Our beloved Chicago Bears face off against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at beautiful Soldier Field. While the Bears have absolutely earned their place in the playoffs, there is no doubt
that there are several things to clean up if they want a shot at a championship.
Where do you even start?
The defense has been the clearest weakness of the team, giving up the 4th most yards per game at 361.8. In particular, their run defense has been gashed to the tune of 134.5 yards per game.
Let’s not stop there. The Bears top two pass catchers have entered the postseason and certain types of dry spells. Rome Odunze, who is practicing in full, has missed the last five games with a foot injury. Before that, he was struggling after a scorching start to his season, averaging only 37.6 yards per game in his five contests before getting injured. DJ Moore, the Bears other top pass catcher, has also struggled with consistency all season. Since Week 7, Moore has either had greater than 60 yards (3 instances) or fewer than 20 yards (6 instances) illustrating how frustrating his season has been.
You could even say that Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams need to step up for the Bears, especially during the first half, for them to reach their potential.
There are a lot of names that need to step up for the Bears to reach their full potential. So let’s get into it.
Who needs to step up for the Bears in the postseason?
To me, the answer is Jaylon Johnson. I know that’s a tall order to ask of a player that is clearly playing through an injury at the moment, but the Bears are not a true contender without a top CB.
According to PFF, JJ is among the worst in the league in passer rating allowed (86.1), missed tackles (3), and yards per reception allowed (17.2). That’s pretty brutal for a player who has been considered a top CB in the league over the last 3 seasons.
Johnson has simply looked a step slower since returning from his groin injury midway through the season. But if Johnson is going to regain form, it starts with him playing with physicality, a part of his game that has simply been missing in the last few weeks.
Too often we have seen JJ not wrap up, make “business decisions” on tackles, or not properly jam a WR at the line of scrimmage. If he can reengage this part of his game, the Bears defense could fare a lot better, and corral talented pass catchers like Christian Watson, Puka Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
We saw what an aggressive Jaylon Johnson looked like to start the game against the Niners, and it set a serious tone.
The Bears are entering the postseason with a lot of question marks, but have the players on the roster capable of answering the call. The only question is whether or not they step up.
Now it’s your turn! Who do you think needs to step up for the Bears in the postseason? Sound off in the comments!
