Bengals writer explains Bears’ solution to the Ja’Marr Chase problem may be to rely on a strategy that sounds easier said than done
Cincinnati Bengals star WR Ja’Marr Chase presents a difficult challenge to the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears enter into Week 9 with a lot of internal and external questions heading into a second consecutive road match against an AFC North opponent.
The Bears learned last Sunday against a one-win Baltimore Ravens team without quarterback Lamar Jackson how important it is not to overlook any opponent. Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals is no different, regardless of the team’s quarterback situation.
There’s one player going into this matchup who can absolutely wreck this game if he’s not properly accounted for and that player is Bengals’ star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Ja’Marr Chase presents a ‘complete problem’ for the Bears defense in Week 9
“You talk about a complete problem, he is that,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said of Chase. “I don’t know how much you can slow him down. For a guy that, I don’t know anything that he doesn’t do well… I think he’s a complete receiver. I think it’s all hands on deck to try and slow him down.”
Slowing him down isn’t going to be easy, in fact is been nearly impossible for teams this season. Through eight weeks, Chase leads the NFL with 70 receptions and ranks second in receiving yards with 720 yards. Not to mention he’s dangerous from all over the field.
“You have to know where he is on every single play,” Bears veteran safety Kevin Byard said on Wednesday. “They’re going to line him up in a lot of different spots.”
The difficult thing is that Chase isn’t a player you can just shut down. No matter who’s covering him, the Bengals are going to be feeding him the ball each and every game. This season, Chase’s 99 targets leads the NFL with the next closest player having 83 targets (Chris Olave).
In the last four games, Chase has looked borderline unstoppable for the Bengals offense and to learn more about how he’s dominating opposing teams, I spoke with John Sheeran of A to Z Sports Cincinnati.
“Ja’Marr Chase has been targeted 54 times in the past three weeks since Joe Flacco took over as the starter. That’s the most targets a receiver has gotten in a three-game span since targets were first tracked in 1992. He’s also been targeted close to the line of scrimmage, so a lot of these catches are just extended handoffs for the sake of getting him the ball.
“The key to minimizing him is tackling him the first chance you get. That’s obviously easier said than done since he’s averaging nearly three forced missed tackles a game in these last three weeks, but it is the answer to limiting the damage he can bestow to a defense. Because if you can give him space off the line, he will deservedly burn you.” – John Sheeran, A to Z Sports Cincinnati
In Chicago, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been running an aggressive man coverage scheme putting cornerbacks close to the line of scrimmage. Doing similar against Chase can help defend against these shorter “extended handoffs” but tackling him after the catch is another challenge.
The other concern with running this style of defense is being liable for a big play on the outside if the pass rush isn’t able to hit home, which has been the story much of the season for Chicago, allowing top wide receivers to burn past the man coverage down the field or on in-breakers. That would be a major concern against Chase and Tee Higgins on the other side.
Chicago also has some injury issues in the secondary. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been out for the majority of the season, as has nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon. On Wednesday, the Bears added an intense competitor to the room in C.J. Gardner-Johnson to play in the slot and outside cornerback Tyrique Stevenson returned to practice after missing Week 8 with a shoulder injury.
Having two fiery competitors in Stevenson and Gardner-Johnson on the field can help with corralling Chase and will be major additions to have on the field this Sunday. But, let’s be real, it’s still going to be a difficult challenge and the Bears need to be prepared to roll with the punches because big plays by Chase are becoming inevitable to defend against. It’s all about being able to bend but don’t break.
Chicago Bears News
Ben Johnson breaks down the obvious concern in signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson and explains why things could be different in Chicago
There’s some risk and reward involved in the Chicago Bears’ latest roster addition.
