That's why the Vikings figure to treat the Bears to a healthy dose of Dalvin Cook, who has been absolutely on fire the past couple of weeks. They'll likely design quick-hitting routes at the expense of trying to hit too many big plays, but counting on Cousins to dink and dunk his way down the field and avoid turnovers against such a swarming defense could also play into Chicago's hands. Minnesota should be able to get the matchups it wants inside or out because the Bears mostly play sides with cornerbacks Kyle Fuller (89 percent on the left) and Jaylon Johnson (95 percent on the right) while leaving Buster Skrine in the slot (95 percent). That makes the Bears a particularly tough matchup for Cousins, being that they have allowed opposing passers to complete just 71 of 146 passes for 945 yards, no touchdowns, and three picks on throws at least 2.5 seconds after the snap. Any time he has to hold the ball for longer than a hitch or two, there's potential for something to go wrong. Cousins is just 38 of 68 for 545 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions under pressure this season, with a passer rating nearly 30 points worse than the one he's posted when throwing from a clean pocket.Ĭousins prefers to get rid of the ball quickly and on rhythm, spraying the ball to Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson in stride once he hits the top of his drop. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins has been among the most heavily-pressured passers in the league this season, seeing defenders in his face on 38.2 percent of his dropbacks. What's fascinating about the pass defense is the Bears have done it despite surprisingly generating pressure at a below-average rate (32.2 percent of opponent dropbacks, compared with a 35.1 percent league average, per Pro Football Focus and Tru Media), indicating that there is still untapped upside for the unit, considering the talent Chicago has up front. They rank fourth in defensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA, with top-seven units against both the run (seventh) and pass (fourth). Nine games into their season, the Bears are allowing just 335 yards (ninth in the NFL) and 21.1 points (seventh) per game. The Bears remain one of the NFL's best defense.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |