Danger in Overlooking Packers Receivers
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With no clear No. 1 Packers receiver facing them Sunday following Davante Adams' departure, the Bears could get caught up in the national narrative proclaiming an end to Green Bay's potent passing game.
That would be a case of "shame on me," because until a rain-soaked win over the 49ers Sunday, it was the Bears receivers absorbing all the national media criticism.
Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams, nevertheless, has warned players about the danger ahead.
"Not falling into that trap to say they don’t have a No. 1," Williams said. "We try to tell the guys, 'Don't drink the Kool Aid,' of what the media is trying to sell that there's gloom and doom in Green Bay.
"'Don't fall into that trap.' "
He's trying to get defensive backs to take the Packers receiver threat seriously.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson hasn't fallen into the trap yet, but he also isn't vision-impaired. He saw on film how much the Packers struggled with their wide receivers in their 23-7 loss to Minnesota last week.
-Bears Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams
It's obvious to Johnson because he used to be the one covering Adams.
"I definitely feel like the film study is slightly different," Johnson said. "Just, I mean, you have to really watch I would say their whole corps of receivers. I feel like they are all coming from different places: rookies, guys who are coming in from different teams.
"I feel like they really only have two receivers that have been there who are used to the system with Aaron Rodgers. So it's really trying to get a collective piece of film really to watch on the guys. But for me nothing changes. My technique is my technique. The way I'm going to play is the way I'm going to play. Nothing really changes for me on the field."
If the Bears like to dwell on how there is no No. 1, they only need to know that they had no wide receivers on their own offense catch more than one pass last week. At the same time, Romeo Doubs, Sammy Watkins, Christian Watson and Randall Cobb all had two or more catches for the Packers.
The bottom line is those receivers have Aaron Rodgers throwing the passes and the quarterback makes the receivers. It's not the other way around and never has been.
"He's super accurate," Williams said of Rodgers. "Again, you're not going to fool him so he can get them in the right play, he can check out of plays, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes, that's a big deal.
"So, he'll try to get you with substitution, those types of things, so we have to be sharp on how we're executing the game plan."
Even if Rodgers is still a pinpoint passer, Johnson pointed out a problem in the way the passing game is synched up.
"I don't think their scheme or concept would be different," Johnson said. "Clearly the targets are different. It's just his target and his comfort is no longer there (Adams). He's still trying to find (someone). I felt that was evident in some of his interviews and just his frustrations in the last game.
"But at the end of the day he is who he is. He is one of the greats. And he's going to figure out a way. And I feel like those guys are only going to get better. So I mean I definitely don't think that there isn't going to be a challenge. At the end of the day we still gotta come, we gotta play and we gotta do our job and take those guys out of the game."
Rather than read or listen to media hype, Williams tried focusing his defense on the job they face and their own need to improve, much the way coach Matt Eberflus did on Wednesday.
"Again, what we're trying to do is to block out everything else and focus in on the task at hand, which is improving each week, follow the process, stay the course, keep worrying about, 'Hey, this is the next football game. Not necessarily the Super Bowl or anything like that,' Williams said. "We need to take care of ourselves and our business and what we need to do than moreso who they are and what they're doing."
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