Bear Digest

Mismatches for Bears to exploit in season opener with Vikings

Analysis: Colston Loveland's presence in the Bears offense is all about taking advantage of mismatches and the Bears could find there are several other players who have edges to exploit.
Gene Chamberlain|
Grady Jarrett, the former Falcons standout, is in a position to control his matchup against the Vikings Monday night.
Grady Jarrett, the former Falcons standout, is in a position to control his matchup against the Vikings Monday night. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The NFL is a game of matchups and trying to take advantage of mismatches.

The entire idea of the Bears bringing in tight end Colston Loveland in the draft was to create mismatches, something coach Ben Johnson loves to do in his play calling and in personnel groupings.

It wasn't long into camp when linebacker Tremaine Edmunds noticed the issues teams would have covering Loveland.

“He’s obviously a big guy that can move, has a big frame, he's strong," Edmunds said. "He's fast and can create mismatches on linebackers, create mismatches on DBs that cover him.

"That's going to be helpful for us, just having somebody that can do that, somebody that can separate, somebody that can get open and be a security blanket for the quarterback."

It's probably difficult to pinpoint one Minnesota defender Loveland could cause problems for Monday night in the opener because several different players will need to alternate covering him, from slot cornerback to safety to linebackers.

MOST FEARED MATCHUPS FOR THE BEARS MONDAY NIGHT AGAINST VIKINGS

He'll be a potential matchup issue all year for teams.

There are other more specific matchups the Bears should look to exploit in this debut game for Johnson and his staff. The problem they face with the receiver-defensive back advantages is their line needs to win up front against a dominant Vikings front to make it possible.

Grady Jarrett vs. Donovan Jackson

A college tackle, the 320-pound Jackson is a rookie moving to a different position at left guard and much of the day will face Bears veteran 3-technique defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. It's a potential problem for Minnesota. Jackson had only 12 plays in preseason, including eight passes, and had the worst Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade of all Vikings linemen. Jarrett will aim to disrupt by getting into the gap and pushing in against the run or by attacking rookie QB J.J. McCarthy in the passing game.

Kyler Gordon vs. Adam Thielen

In his days with the Vikings, Thielen presented a terrible challenge to the Bears because he complemented the tight end and deeper receiver threats like Justin Jefferson in his later years. That was then and this is now, as they say. Thielen will be back about a week and a half. He's 36 years old now and hasn't had much time to establish a rapport with his young QB. At his position, it's all about that rapport. Meanwhile, he'll be covered by one of the highest-paid slot cornerbacks in the league. Gordon's quickness and athleticism should allow him to challenge any throws into the the middle of the field to the slot.

Rome Odunze vs. Isaiah Rodgers

Rodgers is a cornerback the Vikings got in free agency from the Eagles and he played a non-starter role there with some success on one third of the defensive snaps for the world champions. He has 13 career starts in four seasons. At 5-10, 176 he isn't exactly built for handling 6-3 1/2 Odunze and his 214-pound frame. Rodgers is one of the players in 2023 who was suspended for gambling. Odunze's great strength is going vertical to make catches so look for back-shoulder throws and 50-50 balls if the Bears have this matchup.

Olamide Zaccheaus vs. Tavierre Thomas

Zaccheaus quickly became a favorite target of Caleb Williams or any of the Bears QBs during training camp with his great quickness and ability to get open in the slot. His speed makes short passes into possible big gainers with yards after the catch. The problem the Bears have is getting him and their other slot receiver, second-rounder Luther Burden III, enough touches. Thomas is the Vikings slot cornerback who has been with the Browns, Texans and Bucs and the last two seasons had sub-par passer ratings against of 111.6 and 118.7. It could be a place the Bears look to get YAC, which has been a key in the Johnson offense.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.