Chicago Bears: Three ways to contain Russell Wilson
Use the blitz more on defense, but contain the edgesThe Bears defense came out firing against the Packers last week on Sunday Night Football. The team had four sacks in the first half, but Rodgers adjusted after halftime to get the ball out of his hands quicker. In the second half, the defense was on its heels and clearly tired. The defense recorded no second-half sacks and wasn’t able to stop the Packers offense.
Fans and analysts criticized the Bears and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for not being more aggressive with blitzing a clearly injured Rodgers. Rodgers was definitely making quick reads and throws, and blitzing against him can get your defense burned in a hurry. However, it seemed as if the defense made few adjustments after the Packers began finding success through the air.
Lots of questions about Mitch Trubisky after rocky 2nd half at Green Bay. When will Roquan Smith start? Why didn't they blitz a hobbled Aaron Rodgers more? That and plenty more in a loaded #Bears Mailbag right here https://t.co/QHg6Z4tXEq
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 12, 2018
If the Bears want to contain Wilson on Monday, they must be more aggressive with the quarterback pressure. Rookie linebacker Roquan Smith showed some promise on the blitz last week when he recorded his first career NFL sack. I think the Bears should turn up the heat more on Monday, but containing the edges is very important.
Wilson can make plays with his feet to try and run for first down yardage. If Bears outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd don’t keep contain on the edges, it could be a long night of Wilson running all over them. I really want to see Fangio get creative and show different looks. Hopefully, he can mix in some disguised blitzes. This may help the team get to Wilson.