Windy City Gridiron
The NFL season is an evolving state of affairs with each team aspiring to hoist the Lombardi Trophy come February, but only 8 teams remain on their quest to do so.
After a monumental win against their longtime rivals, the Chicago Bears host the NFL’s most potent offense in the Los Angeles Rams, who also boast a top pass-rushing tandem across the league.
In this weekly series, I’ve been 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 or Micah Parsons. Heck, even Jared Verse and Byron Young this week would be low hanging fruit. 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.
Lost in the midst of this magical season for Chicago has been the play of running back D’Andre Swift. Swift has been integral to the Bears success on offense and will need to have himself another big game this week to keep the Rams defense honest and off-set the pass rush. Last season against the Rams, which happened to be Caleb Williams’ 4th start ever as a pro, Swift accounted for 93 rushing yards on 16 carries (5.8 yard average) and a score with an additional 72 yards on 7 catches and another score. For those non-math heads at home, like myself, that is 165 yards and 2 TDs against this opponent just a year ago with mostly the same roster.
While I expect Caleb and the passing game to have a much better performance this go around, Swift (and Monangai, for that matter) need to step up this week. If they can control the clock and churn out first downs against the Rams like Head Coach Ben Johnson emphasized this week, then the Bears win.
In just 14 snaps a year ago against the Rams, Austin Booker recorded 2 tackles and 1 QBH. Like Caleb Williams, this was only Booker’s 4th game as a pro. Fast forward a year and Booker is now starting at DE ever since recovering from his injury to begin his sophomore campaign and has been getting better each week.
Make no mistake about it: Montez Sweat needs to play like a premier pass rusher in this one. But Booker’s play against an immobile Matthew Stafford will be something to keep an eye on this week. Additionally, the Rams deploy the most 13 personnel packages (three TEs) in the entire league, so Booker (and Sweat) will have to be strong setting the edge in addition to applying pressure on Stafford without needing to blitz. If Booker...
