One Falcons Player Capable of Bringing Down the Bears
A Bears offense capable of running and using play-action passing is probably the last thing most fans thought they would see after last season based on coach Matt Nagy's past tendencies.
Yet this has been their offensive strength, and because of it one player can bring down the entire Bears team this week.
Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has the capability of turning a potential win by the Bears in Atlanta into a defeat, and possibly an ugly one. With all the weapons the Falcons have on offense, Jarrett is their key in this game and someone the Bears must stop to have a chance.
"We know what we can lean on, and that's our game run, and our O-line up front creating holes and establishing the line of scrimmage," Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said. "I think it also helps in the drop-back pass game as well, so it's nice to have that. It's part of our identity, but we want to continue to evolve with the run game and the pass game and just keep getting better."
So with an offense based now on the run and play-action passes instead of quick-developing passing off short drops, the Bears are particularly susceptible to an interior force capable of disruption.
Enter Jarrett, a 305-pound 3-technique defensive tackle whose tactics are much like Tommy Harris' were in the old Bears cover-2, single-gap style used by Lovie Smith.
Jarrett gets into the gap and surges to disable run-blocking schemes before they can ever develop. Because he's shooting a gap, he also has a step on getting to the quarterback.
Play-action takes longer to develop. If a fast defensive tackle gets in a gap to disrupt a run, he can also make a shambles of play-action passing.
Take this a step further. If the Bears' run game and passing game are disrupted badly by one player, they can be in grave danger in this game because Atlanta's potent offense is going to score against their defense. With their own ability to put up points diminished, the Bears then would have no shot.
"For a defensive lineman to move the way he moves, I just really believe that he can affect a game as some of the great D-linemen do in the NFL," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "He's a game-changer. He's a guy where you've got to know where he's at at all times. I love the way he plays, and we've got to know where he's at."
The Falcons will put him over left guard James Daniels' outside shoulder, but also can flip him to right guard Germain Ifedi's outside shoulder based on the strength of the offensive formation.
"He's quick off the ball," Bears center Cody Whitehair said. "He's explosive. He plays with great leverage. So he's a guy we have to be ready to play, have things in mind to control him."
The Bears gave up four sacks last week against a Giants team with young defensive linemen who haven't yet established themselves. So it begs the question, what kind of damage can someone of Jarrett's ability accomplish against their line?
So far Daniels has been steady. His overall Pro Football Focus grade is 67.2 and his run blocking is 69.1. But his pass blocking is 52.6.
"I think just another year of experience has helped him there," Whitehair said of Daniels. "He's put on some weight. He's really got stronger in the offseason. You can definitely see the power that he brings coming off the ball. And we just got to keep getting better."
Ifedi probably surprises some who remember him struggling in Seattle because he's been effective. However, he's in a different offense and at a different position.
"You know, Germain’s adapted to the things that we're doing here," Whitehair said. "He's done a good job. He's a big, physical guy that does pretty well at the point of attack."
The entire Falcons defense has speed as an advantage on artificial turf, even if they've given up 78 points so far playing on it.
"Fast fast and really fast; they fly around," Nagy said. "I mean, they get after you. It's very evident on tape that the front line that they have, those linebackers, they go quick. So on that turf, they're even faster."
The speed starts with Jarrett, and it's there where the Bears need to stop it the fastest.
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