Kyler Gordon has not returned to the Chicago Bears as just another nice addition to the defense, but rather, he's come back as the most disruptive pass rusher. Gordon missed five game, returned two weeks ago, and he's already tied for the lead in sacks.
You can read that again if it wasn't strange enough the first time.
Gordon is a slot cornerback, while Austin Booker is a defensive end who attacks the quarterback for a living, yet here we are after Week 7, and Gordon is standing next to him at four sack apiece. That's in front of Dayo Odeyingbo with three, and Montez Sweat at two.
Dennis Allen, the Bears defensive coordinator, is not just sprinkling in the occasional corner blitz, either. He's built a real pass rush weapon out of his nickel corner, and two weeks of tape already suggest that he's become one of the most disruptive pieces the Bears have.
Allen found a weapon hiding in his own secondary
Four sacks in two weeks isn't simply a hot streak, it's a headline.
In his season debut, Gordon produced three sacks, and forced two separated fumbles. One of those fumbles was a late strip sack that was recovered by Devin Bush to secure the Bears' victory after the Falcons mounted a late comeback.
Then at home on a short week, Gordon managed to do it again. He added a sack, five total tackles, and two tackles for loss. If the impressive stat line had stopped there, you might be able to consider this a fluke. But the fact that Gordon immediately backed it up on a short week makes a point.
An occasional nickel blitz is a changeup. One does not normally land four sacks in two weeks on changeups. Gordon's advantage starts before the snap. Offenses set their protection by gauging the defensive personnel on the field, and a slot corner breaking the line late isn't something that's generally calculated for.
Dennis Allen must get a lot of credit. It takes a lot of gall to make moves like that. Plenty of credit should go to Gordon as well. plenty of coordinators draw up slot blitzes, but it takes a player with Gordon's timing and nerve to be able to execute it faithfully. If Gordon keeps rushing like this, Chicago has a problem solver that no offense is built to handle.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google