There were several reasons why the Chicago Bears managed to upset the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Penalties by their opponent were one. Big plays by Justin Fields in the second half were another. However, the defense’s stellar performance carried most of the load, allowing 10 points all afternoon. The craziest part was that the established stars weren’t the ones leading the way. Robert Quinn, Jaylon Johnson, and Roquan Smith all played well. It was the rookies that provided the spark.
GM Ryan Poles selected three defenders in his first five picks of the 2022 draft. All three of them played significant snaps on Sunday. Top pick Kyler Gordon had a solid game, making six tackles, including one for a loss. Yet he was overshadowed by the other two, safety Jaquan Brisker and defensive end Dominique Robinson. Brisker had a recovered fumble and a huge tackle for loss on a goal-line stand. Robinson had 1.5 sacks. They were so good that NFL Next Gen Stats ranked them among the ten best rookie performers of opening weekend.
Robinson was 5th, and Brisker was 7th.
“Robinson’s performance didn’t just stand out among rookies in Week 1; some of the defensive numbers posted above ranked among the best in the league, period. How did he get it done? Sheer effort went a very long way. Robinson had three hustle stops in Chicago’s win over San Francisco, the most by any rookie defensive lineman in a game in the NGS era (since 2016)…
…The Bears’ defense was the centerpiece to their win over a 49ers team that reached the NFC Championship Game last season, and Brisker — classified as a “sleeper” by Next Gen Stats’ draft scores in April — played a major role. As the above metrics show, Brisker was among the NFL’s most effective DBs in pass coverage in Week 1.”
Chicago Bears saw their value in the second half.
Remember that goal-line stand mentioned above? On 2nd down from the Bears’ 2-yard line, Brisker sniffed out a screen pass to running back Jeff Wilson, bringing him down for a two-yard loss. Then on the next play, Robinson fought through All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams to sack Trey Lance, forcing a crucial field goal. On the next series, the Bears’ offense scored to make it 10-7. That sequence changed the momentum of the entire game. Both of those rookies were the primary reasons why.
What makes it so crazy is how the Chicago Bears landed both players. Brisker was widely considered among the best safeties in the class. Yet he still fell to the 2nd round. That 48th pick the Bears used on him was the one they picked up from the Chargers in the Khalil Mack trade. As for Robinson, he still landed in the Bears’ laps despite them trading down from their original 150th pick of the 5th round not once but twice.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
An amazing job of finding value by Poles.
Every rookie in that game last Sunday played a role.. really think that when Sanborn gets his chance with the starting squad, he’s going to impress as well.
Last year’s class is also contributing which doesn’t surprise me, in large part due to the first 3 picks.. but do think a mistake was made with Thomas Graham.
However the way Poles drafted and the way he maneuvered the off-season brings hope that we’re FINALLY heading in the right direction!