Windy City Gridiron
The NFL season is an evolving state of affairs, and week 15 finds your 9-4 Chicago Bears as the #7 seed after a loss to the Packers and needing a win to keep pace for the playoffs. This week, a hobbled but dangerous Cleveland Browns squad comes to town in what should be single-digit temperatures and a defensive battle.
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 Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. 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.
Despite getting starter reps in the preseason after an encouraging training camp, the 2nd round pick out of Boston College did not get his first NFL start until week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Trapilo has started each game since, and the Bears have gone 2-1 and averaged 25 points per game while facing 3 of the top pass rushing units in the entire league. Teams that included TJ Watt, Jaelan Phillips and Micah Parsons.
This week Trapilo is tasked with protecting Caleb Williams against one of the most decorated sack artists of all time in future 1st ballot Hall of Famer Myles Garrett. Needing only 3 sacks to break the single-season all-time sack record of 22.5 held by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt, Garrett will be licking his chops going against a rookie this week.
However, what Trapilo may lack in run-blocking, he makes up for in pass-blocking and was even rated as the Bears’ top pass-blocker last week against the Packers. If Trapilo can keep Garrett and the Browns’ stout defense from wrecking the game, Chicago should run away with this one. But if Garret has a signature game in Chi-Town we might see more records drop than the all-time sack record in this one.
After signing a massive 3-year, $43.5 million contract this off-season to fill the hole next to Gervon Dexter Sr. at DT, Jarrett immediately had massive expectations placed on him when he stepped foot in Halas Hall. To say he had been a disappointment to start his Bears career would be an understatement. But was it due more to health than deteriorating ability? The last 4 games have started to sway me on that question as Jarrett has continued to make plays in both the run and pass games each week.
Against the Browns this week, with their two starting Guards and starting Center injured and against a rookie QB who is not the most athletic, Jarrett will...
