Kyler Gordon didn't look like the kind of nickel that the Chicago Bears should be tying their hopes to for the rest of the postseason during their miraculous 31-27 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC wild-card round.
Gordon was already working from behind, being activated for the postseason after not playing since Thanksgiving weekend. Before that, he had two appearances in mid-October. He was not ready to step in and cover guys like Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden on Saturday night, and it showed.
Gordon looked like he was moving in slow motion as Doubs created what seemed like miles of space for a 33-yard reception on a post route. Later, he was stumbling around as Golden hit on a dig for 36 yards. He was not up to speed. And in a postseason setting, he had no business even being on the track. Down the stretch, it seemed like Jordan Love was seeking out whoever Gordon was covering in the pass game because the Packers knew they had an advantage in that spot.
That decision could've cost Dennis Allen his job. Ben Johnson and Co. bailed them out big time late in the game with the offensive flurry. Credit the defense's effort for putting the team in that position by tightening up in the second half, but that was almost too little, too late.
Will Chicago take that risk a second time this weekend in the NFC Divisional Round? Not if they want to compete for a spot in the Super Bowl.
Rams Can Make Bears Pay For Repeated Kyler Gordon Mistake
If the Bears insist on playing Gordon in key spots again this weekend despite all the injuries he's endured this season in his lower extremities, the Los Angeles Rams can make them pay just like the Packers did in the first half.
Of course, Los Angeles is even more vulnerable on defense, so it could be easier to keep pace with them, assuming another miraculous last-second comeback isn't on the menu. Still, Matthew Stafford is reaching the end of the line and may be on a mission to make one last deep run. Helping him on that mission are weapons like Puka Nacua in the slot and Davante Adams out wide. Disaster feels like a potential outcome with C.J. Gardner-Johnson out. Nick McCloud is the other option, and though he's been used as a depth piece, depth pieces advance to rotation regulars in playoff moments.
It's uncertain whether Gordon will be put in the same kind of spots as often, as backlash may not be enough to sway a change in the gameplan. It will make it clear who the fanbase won't want to see back next year, though, if there's more of the same this weekend.