Jets QB Switch Hardly the Problem

The Bears face a turnabout now.

They came into the week presenting the possibility of preparing for two different types of quarterbacks to the Jets defense.

Getting ready for Justin Fields or Trevor Siemian are two different things, and the Jets can't really know which it will be based on how practice has gone so far.

Now it's the Bears who have had to switch their defensive game plan on defense a bit, because of Zach Wilson's benching as Jets QB in favor of Mike White.

"Obviously, the running game will probably be the same," linebacker Nicholas Morrow said. "I think they'll probably run the ball."

Wilson is mobile, White is not. White also lacks much experience with only five appearances and three starts in two years, five touchdown passes, eight interceptions and 953 yards on 88 of 132 passes.

It's not White's play the Bears need to be worried about, just like it wasn't Wilson's play they needed to be concerned about.

"I think you have to kind of go with same mindset that these are their base calls, this is what they do on their base downs," Morrow said.

The Jets are a running team and the quarterback seems superfluous. Robert Saleh is a former 49ers coach who likes the run and play-action passing on offense, and has one of the game's best defensive fronts on his side.

Here are the most difficult matchups facing the Bears when they play the Jets.

Bears LG Cody Whitehair vs. 49ers DT Quinnen Williams

Whitehair has been the most consistent Bears blocker throughout the season but now he's facing one of the rising young interior defensive performers in the league. Williams has a career-high eight sacks and 18 quarterback hits using both power and speed off the defensive interior. Pro Football Focus judges him as the fourth-best defensive tackle in the league and seventh-best interior pass rusher. Whitehair has a slight size advantage because Williams is 6-3, 303 but it's the explosiveness Williams shows and an ability to work off other Jets pass rushers that makes him a threat.

Bears RT Riley Reiff vs. Jets DE Carl Lawson

Reiff has performed at a higher level overall than Larry Borom did as starter but has allowed two sacks, although he has been efficient and committed just one penalty. Pro Football Focus actually has the two graded only two spots apart, Reiff 43rd best tackle and Borom 45th. Lawson is coming off an Achilles tear and leads the Jets in sacks with five and has 17 quarterback hits. The former Bengals defensive lineman was a smart choice for the defensive style the Jets play when he was signed before 2021. He had come into his own with 44 pressures the previous year.

Bears LT Braxton Jones vs. Jets DE John Franklin-Myers

Franklin-Myers has developed with the Jets after starting out with the Rams. He has 3 1/2 sacks, 15 pressures, 14 QB hits and 22 tackles, including three for loss this season. Franklin-Myers is a very interchangable player for the 49ers defense as he's big enough to line up inside on pass rush situations at 6-4, 288, but overpowers off the edge. While Jones has been a name tossed about as disappointing to Bears fans, PFF still ranks him the 26th best tackle in the league and grades him higher than players like Orlando Brown with the Chiefs, Taylor Decker with the Lions and Trent Brown of the Patriots. He is graded as the 18th best run blocker among tackles, only one point in their system below Green Bay's David Bakhtiari. Still, it's going to be a difficult chore for a rookie like Jones, and any Bears blocker, handling all the stunting the 49ers use.

Bears WR Equanimeous St. Brown vs. Jets CB Sauce Gardner

It's rare when the Bears get much more than one catch from St. Brown and he continues to log extensive playing time because of his blocking and has been on the field for 66% of plays. Fields has a passer rating of 52.7 when he targets St. Brown. Even at 6-foot-5, St. Brown would find it difficult getting open against Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, the fourth pick of this year's draft from Cincinnati. Gardner already has 14 breakups to go with two interceptions and 6-foot-3 cornerback uses his reach well. He has a passer rating against this year of just 55.5 with 52.7% completions allowed and only one TD, according to Sportradar.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Jets WR Garrett Wilson

The rookie from Ohio State hasn't disappointed with a team-high 44 catches for 533 yards, although he has made it to the end zone only twice. The Jets also have Corey Davis, who can line up at the X-position but has been suffering from a knee injury and just returned to practice this week. They move Wilson around the formation extensively and it wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson matched up all over the field on him. How much past an oblique injury Johnson is remains to be seen. The Falcons weren't challenging anyone with their passing last week but the Jets will, even though the main challenge will be from their running attack.

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