The Chicago Bears receivers, like the rest of the team, has struggled for respect all season long. Much of the national media continues to pass them off as nothing more than a mild interest. The reason? They have played anybody yet. Anybody good and performed well. That’s why the upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings is so highly anticipated.
This is a showdown for division supremacy. The Vikings were the heavy favorite coming into 2018 after losing the NFC championship last year. They got Kirk Cousins in the offseason. They had the #1 defense in the NFL. It felt like their year. Here they sit now, right behind the Bears in the division standing. The winner of this game seizes decisive control of the north.
Most people expect that mighty Minnesota defense to dictate the tempo. Something they’ve done against the Bears ever since Mike Zimmer was hired as their head coach. The problem with all that? This isn’t the same offense that they’ve encountered the past four seasons.
Chicago Bears receivers have no reason to fear Vikings corners
Louis Riddick of ESPN has followed the rise of this Bears offense closely. He’s also a former director of player personnel and played safety in the NFL for a number of years. So he knows what good secondary play is supposed to look like. Thus far he hasn’t seen it from the Vikings defense. Whenever they’ve been great this year, it’s been because of their front four applying constant pressure.
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That’s why when he spoke with Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000 who asked him about whether Minnesota might try to blitz Trubisky a lot to unsettle him, Riddick cautioned against it. Why? It exposed a rather average group of cornerbacks to the Bears’ emerging cast of dynamic receivers.
“Because of how diverse this passing attack is and because of how they’ve got every flavor of wide receiver. They’ve got the big guy who can go up over the top in Allen (Robinson), they’ve got the guy who’s kind of the dynamic slot inside-outside player in Anthony Miller, they’ve got the deep downfield threat in Taylor (Gabriel), they’ve got the pass-catching tight end in Trey (Burton).
You better be sound in your coverage principles, I just know. You better be sound, and if I’m them I’m not exposing Trae Waynes to much one-on-one with just a single middle of the field safety. I’m just not. Okay? You can put Mackensie Alexander out there if you want and let him think he can deal with a guy like Anthony Miller. You’re asking for trouble.”
He’s got a point.
Whenever the Vikings have failed to get consistent pressure on a quarterback this year, their secondary tended to fall apart. That was never more evident than against the Rams in Los Angeles. They sacked him just once in the game and he made them pay, throwing for 465 yards and five touchdowns. The hard part is actually controlling that Vikings front.
Danielle Hunter alone already has 11.5 sacks this season. Everson Griffen only has 2.5 but he’s missed a number of games and looked healthy upon his return. There is some good news though. The Bears offensive line has played them tough. Last year the Vikings sacked Trubisky just two times in two games. They won both, but that was due in large part to Trubisky being a rookie, having no weapons, and playing in a terrible offensive system.
Those three issues have been resolved. If the line again holds the Vikings in check, Riddick may be right. It could be a long night for their secondary.
