Chicago Bears: 5 Seahawks players to watch out for Monday night

Safety Bradley McDougald

While his teammate Earl Thomas came up with two passes defended on Sunday against the Broncos, safety Bradley McDougald tied him for the team lead with a pair of his own. On top of two passes defended, McDougald came up with two interceptions of his own as well.

Don’t overlook this guy, Bears fans.

McDougald is a sixth-year safety out of Kansas who began his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year was his first year in Seattle, and he played in all 16 games. With Thomas back in the fold and no Kam Chancellor anymore, McDougald has a grip on his starting spot.

He’s making the most of it already, and it’s only been one week. All of 2017 McDougald didn’t come up with a single pick. Did I mention he picked off Case Keenum twice in his first regular season action of 2018?

The cornerbacks might be suspect in Seattle, but throwing over the middle with Thomas and McDougald there might be tougher than you think. The game plan has to be to feature a lot more of Jordan Howard in order to bring these two closer to the line of scrimmage.

Getting McDougald to cheat up a bit pre-snap will be huge for the success of the Bears’ passing attack on Monday night. He is a talented safety with a wide receiver background, so the hands are there. The Bears cannot afford to give him any opportunities to use those hands on Monday night. If Trubisky keeps the ball out of his reach, they’ll be fine.