Bear Digest

How Green Bay challenges Nahshon Wright and Bears secondary the most

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen never could have predicted this level of takeaways for Nahshon Wright or the Bears secondary but they really need it this week.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cornerback Nahshon Wright breaks up a pass against Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Cornerback Nahshon Wright breaks up a pass against Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It's probably a good thing Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has so many possible contributors this week in the secondary, including NFC Defensive Player of the Month Nahshon Wright.

He might need them Sunday against the Packers—every single one of them.

While Green Bay's offense has struggled at times and no real go-to receiver stepped forth, Allen calls this the real problem the Bears face. He labeled it a "multitude" of potential threats.

"And they’ve had a lot of guys that have stepped up in critical moments and made plays, and it’s not always the same guy," Allen said. "So they make you defend all five skill players on the field. You have to defend all five of them on every single play because you don’t know where the ball is going to go."

Romeo Doubs lead the Packers in catches with 45. Dontayvion Wicks as 26, rookie Matthew Golden 24 and Christian Watson 21. Tight end Luke Musgrave has taken over for injured Tucker Kraft. Then, too, the running backs have combined for 52 catches.

Add in one other now, as dangerous slot threat Jayden Reed could return from a broken collarbone this week. He's been out since Week 2.

It's definitely a case where Jordan Love uses anyone he can, especially the receiver who's hot that day, and Bears coverage can't focus on one or two specific targets.

"I see a quarterback that does a really good job of processing," Allen said. "He gets to his reads, he knows where he wants to go with the football, he delivers the ball accurately.

"I see a guy that's playing really at a high level, and he's got a lot of good skill players to get the ball to. So I think it's certainly a challenge for us, that's for sure."

So it's a good time to have Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson back from injuries and with one game to adjust to playing again. Apparently they needed it.

"Anytime you don’t really play a lot of football for really, basically, it’s been about a year for both those guys haven’t played a ton of football in the last year, I think there’s a little bit of rust that’s in there," Allen said. "But I think they’ll be improved this week.”

One player who Allen doesn't appear to be able to rely on in this game plan is Tyrique Stevenson. The Bears held a regular Thursday practice and Stevenson wasn't involved. Nor was he listed as able to practice if they'd held a practice Wednesday. He missed last week's game due to a hip injury.

So, they'll likely rely on Wright again, as they have all year. His seven combined takeaways lead the league but he also has given up seven touchdown passes according to Pro Football Focus, in addition to finding a creative way to stop the tush push by stealing the ball from Jalen Hurts last week.

Wright's emergence wasn't something anyone could have predicted, including Allen. Nor could Allen have predicted the league-leading 26 takeaways by his defense.

"I mean I don't know if we ever set out, you know, at the beginning of the season, saying we got to take the ball away this many times," Allen said. "That's not really not, you know, what are we didn't have like this goal in mind that this is how many we have to take away.

"I think the most impressive thing to me is just the ball mindset that our team has at all three levels of the defense, and I've said this before, and I'll continue to say this, I think (DBs coach) Al (Harris) has been a great addition for us in terms of being able to do that. You track him all throughout his career the secondaries that he's been a part of they have taken the ball away, and that's not by accident. You know, that's a mindset, a mentality and he's done a great job with our backend of really instilling that."

The message has come through clearest in Wright, who had worked with Harris in Dallas for three years and thought this was a player who could contribute. Harris was right, says Allen. Maybe it all even leads to a long-term contract for Wright, who signed only a one-year deal.

"What I saw was, each and every day and each, and every week during training camp, I saw a guy that continued to get better," Allen said. "And I've said this before, I think any time you’ve got a guy that's got talent and intelligence and they're willing to work, those guys get better. And that's exactly what he's done.

"He's come in every single day, put his head down, went to work, tried to do the things we're asking him to do. And I think he's reaping some of the benefits, and we're reaping some of the benefits of that."

They could use more benefits like those this week against a passing game with so many possible targets.

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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.