‘He wrecks drives’ — Bears have identified the biggest threat in Week 4 and containing him would send a big statement for one player
Big opportunity coming up to impress the coaches.
Despite coming off a dominating Week 3 win, the Chicago Bears know better than to overlook any opponent in the NFL and head coach Ben Johnson has been sending the right message once again going into Week 4’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Led by an experienced coach in Pete Carroll with a veteran quarterback in Geno Smith, this isn’t a team to mess around with, especially on the road. The Bears will still have their hands full on Sunday looking to get back to .500 but one player in Vegas can single-handedly prevent that from happening.
“It starts with Maxx Crosby,” Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “In my opinion, he’s a Top-5 player in this league on defense and probably doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves. He’s all over the place, relentless, high motor and you have to account for him and know where he’s at every snap. He wrecks drives, that’s what he does.”
Maxx Crosby will be a big matchup for Darnell Wright to prove himself in Week 4
The player primarily tasked with containing Crosby for the Bears on Sunday will be third-year right tackle Darnell Wright and it will be the second time Wright has been asked to defend against the Raiders’ top weapon in his young career.
Back in Week 7 of the 2023 season, Wright largely held Crosby in check for it being his rookie season going up against one of the top edge rushers in the NFL. Now, Crosby still finished that game with one sack and five total pressures, but it was one of Wright’s top showings that season.
Roughly two years later, Wright is set to face Crosby yet again with a lot more experience under his belt, but with a lot more to prove in the eyes of the new coaching staff.
“I’ve been pleased,” Johnson said of Wright last Friday. “He’s a really talented individual that shows up all the time. He’s a little bit of a unicorn. The O-line, they take to it because he’s got some rare traits that you don’t see all the time around this league. He can be effective in both the running game and in pass protection. He’s a guy that we count on.”
“We’re trying to do some different things with him, move him around, get him in space or have him pull a little bit, things that, maybe, he hasn’t done a whole lot of in the past. When you have a player of that caliber, that has talent like him, you do try to feature him on your offense.”
The presence of Crosby alone will force Wright to be a featured player to watch in this matchup. This season, Wright has allowed one sack and three total pressures but with six total penalties, which is the second-most among offensive linemen. As for Crosby, the Raiders pass rusher has 11 pressures and 2.0 sacks on the season.
It’ll be a big opportunity for Wright to prove himself and continue building a case toward becoming a top right tackle in this league.
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Caleb Williams caps his big Week 3 performance by earning an award previously given to the QB on the opposite sideline against Chicago
Well deserved award.
