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Three Matchups Bears Need to Win Against Titans
The task before the Bears this week is fairly simple but not necessarily easily accomplished.
It's more of a physical task than a mental one.
The Tennessee Titans caught fire and it took everything Patrick Mahomes had last year to douse the blaze in the AFC championship game. They dominated opponents with Derrick Henry's power in the running game, which elevated both quarterback Ryan Tannehill and their own defense.
The Bears need to stop the running attack, force Tannehill to do what he doesn't want to do, pressure him and rely on their own offense to score enough early to make the Titans less able to rely on their unstoppable force, Henry.
Tennessee has very obvious defensive weaknesses, but the two best individual matchups from the Bears' standpoint Sunday involve their most destructive defensive players. They need these two at their best.
Here are three matchups favoring the Bears that must be won to beat Tennessee.
Bears OLB Khalil Mack vs. Titans RT Dennis Kelly
Khalil Mack has had to go up against some very effective right tackles over the course of the past three games, and this is a decided step down in competition. Kelly is not a toll booth gate by any means, but has allowed two sacks and Pro Football Focus has given him a sub-par 54.5 grade as a pass blocker. Mack has 6 1/2 sacks and has been coming on strong despite an ankle injury that has kept him from practicing. Earlier it was a knee injury, but this week he's practiced without having his name on the injury report. Mack also has been stopping the run, and is on a pace for his most tackles as a Bear. Kelly is an angular type at 6-foot-8, and has decent size at 321. But Kelly is a full-time starter for the first time in a long career as a backup. He has 38 career start in 95 games played and this week is goinig against one of the league's best pass rushers.
Bears DE Akiem Hicks vs. Titans RG Nate Davis
Davis has stepped up his game greatly. There's no doubt the 6-foot-3, 316-pound right guard from Charlotte was one of the Titans' few weak offensive line links last year as a rookie when Henry's blockers suddenly sprang to life at midseason. Davis had a Pro Football Focus grade of only 40.9 and 47.0 as a run blocker in 2019. This year's he's pushed up into the 60s. The problem for Davis is he must block a defensive end 35 pounds heavier, whose only fault this season has been the occasional penalty. The Titans live off the stretch play and the Bears have been bossed around by some offensive lines using this play or counters off of it. None of this happens if the run is caved in from the inside. The key for the Bears on these plays is usually the nose tackle but it can be Hicks. If he gets enough penetration to force Henry to pause or run laterally, it creates more time for linebackers to get to the hole.
Bears WR Anthony Miller vs. CB Chris Jackson
Miller had a bit of a breakthrough game last week after struggling for several weeks, as he caught eight passes for 73 yards. It was his season high for receptions and most yards since Game 1. The Titans have had one of the worst third-down defenses of all time, not simply for this season. They're dead last in the NFL, allowing offenses to convert on a whopping 61.9% of third-down attempts. To show how bad they are, by contrast, the league-leading Bears defense is about 32 percentage points better. Jackson has given up 81.8% completions according to Sportradar, and has been beaten at will. It's possible he won't even be the player the Bears face as Tennessee has been in a constant state of juggling in the secondary to resolve their third-down issues and also bad red-zone pass defense. The Titans traded this week for Chargers reserve defensive back Desmond King, who has a good history of coverage but hasn't been a starter for any extended period. They could also use Kristian Fulton at this coverage spot. King might not yet know the defense well enough with only a few days in the scheme.
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