Windy City Gridiron
The NFL season is an evolving state of affairs, and week 11 finds your 6-3 Chicago Bears squarely in the playoff picture and ready to begin their toughest stretch of schedule they’ll face all season. This week a rematch against the rival Vikings who won their first battle in week 1.
In this weekly series, I’ll be featuring one player from each team on each side of the ball who I believe to be integral to their respective team’s success. It’s not always about the quarterback or superstar defensive players like Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson. Importance is all relative, and while the “star” players are obviously important each week, this series will also highlight some of the other guys.
Because let’s face it, often, the unsung players are just as critical to the team’s success.
Here are the players that I will be keyed in on in this one.
It was not long ago, maybe 2 weeks, when it seemed the entire world was criticizing the Bears for selecting Colston Loveland over fellow first-round TE Tyler Warren. Well, those complaints have turned into cheers as Loveland has proven to be an upper-echelon talent both as a pass catcher and blocker from the TE spot and has strung together a couple of clutch performances with his vice-grip hands and clinician-level route-running skills. Has it taken some time for him to hit his groove in this offense? Sure. But that was to be expected as a rookie backup TE in a brand new offense with so many weapons. This week, I expect Loveland (and fellow rook Luther Burden III, for that matter) to be an X factor. Rookies Loveland, Burden III and Monangai barely saw the field in week 1, but I expect all three to be integral this week. Loveland, especially.
In the last 4 games, Montez Sweat has 4.5 of his 5.5 sacks on the season. He also has a forced fumble and 5 TFL during that timespan. Suffice it to say, Sweat is finding his footing in this new Dennis Allen defensive scheme and it couldn’t come at a better time. Against the Vikings this week, Sweat will see most of his work across from RT Brian O’Neill, who has proven to be one of the better RTs in the game and is someone we have highlighted in years past in this column. Though he had 2 TFL in their first meeting of 2025, Sweat was shut out from any impactful plays in the passing game. If he can continue making an impact like he has in recent weeks, it should be a long day for young QB J.J. McCarthy and the Vikes offense. If O’Neill and LT Christian Darrisaw can keep Sweat off their QB, it will give their offense time to find Justin Jefferson, which no defense wants to see.
