Bear Digest

Bears require even more of Tremaine Edmunds after position switch

The NFL leader in interceptions now faces another change to his duty emphasis to support a hurt team against the Giants.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tremaine Edmunds celebrates with teammates as they come off the field following last Sunday's win over Cincinnati.
Tremaine Edmunds celebrates with teammates as they come off the field following last Sunday's win over Cincinnati. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears realize what moving Tremaine Edmunds from middle linebacker to weakside did.

He became a league-leading playmaker to an even greater degree, which once again doesn't say much for the previous coaching regime after they kept him in the middle for two so-so seasons.

“I think he's really come on over the last few weeks since we moved him from Mike to Will," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "I don't know if it's a comfort level or just, ‘Hey, this is what you’ve got to do.’ I think it's really come on.

"Talking with some of the previous coaches, we've gone against–opponents that we've gone against, and they talk about how long he is and what a big concern he is in their passing game because it’s hard to fit the ball over him or around him. He just finds way to tip the ball, or I think he's got four interceptions on the year right now."

Four interceptions ties Edmunds for the NFL lead with his teammate, safety Kevin Byard, and with linebacker Devin Lloyd of the Jaguars.

About the only ones who have been able to slow him down are the officials. They took away a touchdown return last week when replays seemed to indicate otherwise.

It's not at defending passes where the Bears really need to see Edmunds step up Sunday against the Giants. The hamstring injury to T.J. Edwards, and also to a lesser degree a hand fracture, have the Bears playing without the linebacker whose return from an earlier hamstring injury coincided with the Bears' run defense solidifying.

Now they need someone to pull together the run defense. Can Edmunds do it from this different position in a way he couldn't earlier this season from the middle?

"When he plays decisive and physical in the run game, it makes him a really dangerous linebacker because of the concerns that our opponents have for him in the passing games," Johnson said. "I'm happy with how he's playing right now.”

He'll no doubt be happier if the performance Sunday includes tackles for loss and a high tackle percentage.

They're not only without Edwards, but also no longer have defensive linemen Shemar Turner and Dayo Odeyingbo. While Pro Football Focus grades don't show it,  coaches regard Turner and Odeyingbo as two of their better run stoppers on the edge. They're also without injured Dominique Robinson, and coaches have cited his run-stopping ability as one of his most improved areas of play.

Someone is going to need to make up for the lack of stoppers up front against the run lest the Bears wind up looking like they did against Minnesota, Detroit, Las Vegas and Baltimore. The Giants' only two wins came when they ran for more than 160 yards.

It might need to be the new weakside linebacker, whose play so far stopping the pass has been exemplary. Edmunds will simply need to morph again.

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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.