Bear Digest

Bears Can Benefit from Colts Matchups

The opportunity to face Colts players in practice and Saturday's game can benefit some Bears more than others and here's who can gain the most from it.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears Can Benefit from Colts Matchups
Bears Can Benefit from Colts Matchups

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Chicago Bears

Throughout the 2022 season Bears coach Matt Eberflus constantly referred to players he had in his defense with the Colts.

Now facing the Colts in two practices and a game can bring out a little more from some Bears than others as they run up against some of those Eberflus favorites from his past.

Eberflus said this week he's looking forward to certain matchups and actually planned to talk to Colts first-year coach Shane Steichen about what players they'd like to see pitted against each other in practice.

"That's really important because we want matchups," Eberflus said. "We'll talk to the Colts staff about, hey, what matchups we're gonna get.

"We're gonna have a meeting the night before with their staff, which will be cool to be able to sit down and talk about the practices, talk about the tempo of practice, talk about the matchups. And making sure we’re squared away so we’re both getting what we want to see out of the practices. And so that's really it, the skillsets. You get to match people up."

Here are some matchups where the Bears can see growth for some players, although it's possible injuries on the Indy side could impact some of these.

Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson vs. Colts WR Michael Pittman

When Stevenson lines up on the left side of the Bears defense, he's been going most of the time against Darnell Mooney but sometimes gets DJ Moore or Chase Claypool. If they can get him matched up against Michael Pittman it will be excellent experience as the Colts 6-foot-4, 223-pound receiver has been an extremely productive X-receiver the past two years with 88 and 99 receptions after breaking in with 40 catches in 2020. Pittman's size in a productive X-type is something Pittman can benefit from facing. The Bears might need to move Jaylon Johnson out to left cornerback to facilitate this but they've done this during camp at times when they were simulating the packages they use with Johnson on the opponents' best receiver.

Bears CB Kyler Gordon vs. Colts WR Isaiah McKenzie

McKenzie is a very small, quick player with moves. The Bears really don't have someone who is 5-7 and plays the slot. Gordon can use this type of experience after opening preseason with an impressive physical start against the Titans. This will be a different type of challenge and will test his ability to track someone with quicks in the middle of the field.

Bears DT Gervon Dexter vs. Colts LG Quenton Nelson

The Bears could try to get their rookie defensive tackle as many snaps as possible against one of the best guards in the business. For that matter, starter Justin Jones would benefit from working in practice against a player of this quality. Facing a guard with great, even legendary strength, can only help Dexter, whose size and strength were counted as his own assets coming into the draft this year.

Bears LG Teven Jenkins vs. Colts DT DeForest Buckner

Jenkins' experience at his new position is limited and he'd no doubt benefit greatly facing a different three technique in practice and the game. The problem here is Buckner has been out since Aug. 3 with what has been reported as a foot injury.

Bears WR Darnell Mooney vs. Colts CB Kenny Moore

The Bears get to see the legend. Maybe only Shaq Leonard has been refererenced more by Eberflus when he's talked about his Colts days than Moore. The Colts have reworked their secondary and Moore is the only remaining cornerback with extensive experience. Some of the Bears cornerbacks could benefit from watching Moore's technique on the field, as well. He has thrived despite being an undersized (5-9) coverage player.

Bears TE Cole Kmet vs. Colts LB Shaq Leonard

The best Colts defensive player is Leonard, who has been progressing well as he comes off back surgery. Leonard was the weakside linebacker in Eberflus' scheme with Indianapolis but has since been moved to middle linebacker. Kmet was graded one of the top 10 run-blocking tight ends and also runs plenty of his routes over the middle in Leonard's area of coverage so this will be an interesting matchup when the 6-6, 260-pound tight end runs up against the 6-2, 230-pound linebacker. The Bears didn't work the two-tight end look with Kmet and Robert Tonyan Jr. much in the first preseason game and this could be an area they dabble at more in the game this week. It will bring one of their tight ends into a head-to-head matchup against the All-Pro.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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.

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