The Chicago Bears now stand alone atop the NFC North thanks to another clutch win and a bit of an assist from the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, there are areas of concern for the team that could easily be cleaned up in the next weeks of the season. Among these issues is the play of linebacker Noah Sewell, who continues to struggle in coverage or to finish plays. Sunday's game was another example of this, whether it was because of his missing tackles, poor performance in coverage, or lack of discipline.
Inconsistent play has been a problem for Sewell, who plays with a high degree of physicality, but often cannot finish plays. Add in the fact that the linebacker is a liability in pass coverage, and there is every reason for the Bears to be looking for other options ahead of a potential playoff run.
All of this adds up to the Bears needing a sense of urgency when it comes to finding a potential answer. Fellow LB T.J. Edwards being out only magnifies all of Sewell's worst traits, with the Bears elevating the defender into a role he simply isn't capable of filling.
Bears Must Cut Down Noah Sewell's Snap Count
Even in a win, it is clear that Sewell's level of play isn't meeting Chicago's standard, making it clear that the team needs to attempt to look in another direction. Sunday was his third straight game with an overall Pro Football Focus grade worse than 50.0 (32.0), and he also tallied an abysmal mark of 31.6 in coverage after allowing three receptions on seven targets.
Sewell's season grades for tackling (34.0), pass rushing (42.7), and coverage (29.2) are all the worst efforts of his young career. He simply isn't performing at the level that Chicago needs him to. Once Edwards is back in the lineup, Sewell shouldn't be surprised to see his snaps lessened as the Bears seek more consistent answers down the stretch.
This isn't to argue phasing out the linebacker entirely, rather giving other pieces opportunities and moving away from a defender that has clearly struggled. The issues in pass coverage and finishing plays are simply far too glaring for the coaching staff to continue to ignore.
The Bears have a playoff-contending roster that demands you do everything possible to improve in the final weeks of the season. As painful as it might be to admit right now, this means moving away from Sewell and making the defender earn more snaps within Chicago's defense. It is worth noting, though, that the 53 defensive snaps he saw in Week 11 were 20 fewer than the previous game, hinting that Chicago might already be cutting his opportunities down.
D'Marco Jackson would be the obvious choice to give a more consistent chance once Edwards returns to the lineup. Chicago could also look to move Amen Ogbongbemiga to the outside. Regardless of how, it is obvious that the franchise needs to make a change and demand Sewell earn his way back into a higher volume of defensive plays.
For a team in contention, the Bears simply cannot continue to overlook Sewell's inconsistent play. The last thing Chicago needs is for a missed tackle or failed coverage to cost a crucial game, which is why a solution must be figured out sooner rather than later.