Bear Digest

Matchup edges dictate Bears quit messing around against the Packers

There are several personnel advantages coach Ben Johnson has on either side of the football and they need to be exploited with solid, basic football.
Gene Chamberlain|
Luther Burden cuts inside the blocking on an end-around against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Luther Burden cuts inside the blocking on an end-around against the Packers at Lambeau Field. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears coach Ben Johnson owns a league-wide reputation for trickery, but with his play calling, but this is deceptive.

The Bears rely heavily on basics, and it's here where they need to hit the Green Bay Packers hardest in their playoff matchup.

"I've been saying it all week: I'm rooted in the fundamentals, particularly on games like this," Johnson said. "It's about blocking, it's about tackling, it's about catching the ball, it's about ball security.

"Things of that nature come out to the forefront. And so, I'm more concerned with playing sound football, making sure that we're putting our guys in a good spot. I mean, we’ve got a lot of talented players and you just want them to play fast, play confident, and put them in good spots."

If Johnson meant this bit of coachspeak as a ruse, he should re-examine his approach.

The key for the Bears is exploiting their matchup advantages with good, solid football. Leave the trickery for regular season.

Johnson doesn't have a good history from his time in Detroit with trick plays in the playoffs, anyway.

Here are the position battles where they should have good advantages.

LG Joe Thuney vs. DT Colby Wooden

Thuney is the No. 1 guard in the NFL again, and received All-Pro designations from ESPN and Pro Football Focus this week with the official AP designation sure to follow. Thuney not only graded out as the No. 1 pass blocker at his position, according to PFF, but ESPN's run-block win rate had him third among all interior offensive linemen at blocking for running plays. Wooden is an undersized interior lineman at 278 pounds, and Thuney's weakness, if he has one, is blocking the massive, overpowering defensive tackles in the running game. Wooden is graded 100th of 134 interior defensive line defenders by Pro Football Focus, 87th rushing the passer and 96th stopping the run.

RG Jonah Jackson vs. DT Karl Brooks

Brooks actually has been rated high by ESPN in pass rush win rate at 12th overall among interior defensive linemen but he's going against a player ranked 12th in run block win rate among interior offensive linemen. Jackson's real strength is run blocking and PFF grades him 15th out of 81 players at his position doing this while Brooks is graded 115th out of 134 at stopping the run. If the Bears needed help on Brooks, center Drew Dalman can slide over and he rates eighth among all interior offensive linemen in pass block win rate.

LB Tremaine Edmunds vs. C Sean Rhyan

One thing the Bears didn't explore against Green Bay extensively is blitzing the A-gap with their weakside linebacker, Edmunds, or even with T.J. Edwards. Rhyan is graded 40th out of 40 centers by PFF at pass blocking. Edmunds has a background as a pass rusher besides playing the middle. He had 5 1/2 sacks in his first three seasons with Buffalo but has had only two sacks with the Bears. In fact, Edmunds and Edwards were not really factors in the games with the Packers. Edmunds didn't play the first game as he was on IR, and Edwards played both but in the first one had been out for a month due to injury and it was his first game back. If the Packers choose to back up Rhyan with pass blocking from running back Josh Jacobs, they will be backing him their second-worst-graded pass blocker with support from their worst-graded pass blocker.

RB D'Andre Swift vs. LB Quay Walker

Walker has good speed and athleticism but there are gaps in his game that can be exploited by a faster back with cutback ability like Swift, or even by a power back like Kyle Monangai provided he doesn't start running laterally. PFF grades Walker 70th out of 87 linebackers in the league at pass coverage and the Packers have been most vulnerable to short passes over the middle. They give up 78% completions in this area according to NFLGSIS.com, which ranks 26th at defending that area. Swift has always been one of the better pass-catching running backs among starters in the league and can take short throws the distance, as he proved against Washington.  

WR Luther Burden vs. CB Keisean Nixon

Nixon got burned for the game-winner by DJ Moore, although he had tight coverage. In the first game, he made the game-winning interception even though he blew coverage on the play. Caleb Williams simply threw a terrible pass when Cole Kmet got behind the coverage. Nixon might be playing more inside in this game because the Packers seem to like their waiver wire pickup, Trevon Diggs, to play outside. Slot coverage cornerback Javon Bullard has been fighting injuries, too, so Nixon could wind up more on Luther Burden. The rookie Bears receiver ranks third in the NFL among all receivers in yards per route run at 2.7. Williams has his highest passer rating when he targets Burden, at 123.1.

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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.