Bear Digest

Theo Benedet again among Bears facing roughest tests from Saints

Several tougher matchups confront the Bears as they try to avoid falling victim to what looks like a trap game against the 1-5 Saints, including one for their new left tackle starter.
Gene Chamberlain|
Saints edge player Carl Granderson gives chase to Tyson Bagent in the last Bears matchup against New Orleans.
Saints edge player Carl Granderson gives chase to Tyson Bagent in the last Bears matchup against New Orleans. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears left tackle Theo Benedet gets another education this week protecting Caleb Williams' blind side against New Orleans.

Both of his previous starts invited a new challenge but in the NFL it seems every team has at least one edge who can put heat on a quarterback and occupy the attention of tackles. The Saints will have two or even three Sunday at Solider Field but so far the biggest surprise starter among Bears has handled what has come his way.

“I thought he's done a really solid job for us," coach Ben Johnson said. "The biggest compliment I could probably give him last week is I didn't feel him out there, which as a play caller, that's what you're normally doing: ‘Hey, why is a play breaking down?’

"If it's a particular person, then you're looking to help him out somehow some way. I never felt that last week with him. I think the confidence is growing. I think his confidence is growing with his ability to perform in this league and our confidence with him continues to grow as well.”

Bringing in an undrafted player from a Canadian college is uncommon, of  course. Johnson, though, pointed out Detroit drafted Benedet's former teammate at British Columbia, offensive lineman Giovanni Manu.

"There's a lot of misses when it comes to player acquisition," Johnson said. "But I do believe this; that he's wired the right way and that's why he's been able to take his raw tools and talent and take coaching and get better, last year on the practice squad and then this year since we've been in the building."

Benedet will be just one of several Bears who will be challenged this week with tougher matchups against the Saints.

T Theo Benedet vs. DE Carl Granderson

Last week Benedet held his own against Washington's Dorance Armstrong Jr., a week after surviving Maxx Crosby. Armstrong suffered an injury but played and had half a sack. Pro Football Focus didn't give the sack allowed to Benedet and he hasn't given up one yet, and one penalty he committed Monday went down as a phantom call—the illegal formation for lining up too far behind the center, wiping out Rome Odunze's touchdown. So far, Benedet's shorter 32-inch arms haven't been an issue. Granderson has a team-high 4 1/2 sacks for the Saints and 3 1/2 came in the last two games. The 6-foot-5, 261-pounder played second best edge for years to Cameron Jordan but now 36, the longtime Saints edge is in his 15th season and his production has waned for the past three years.

When he is healthy, Chase Young is the best Saints edge rusher this year but he hasn't been able to be on the field enough and Granderson has carried the load.

CB Nahshon Wright vs. Saints WR Chris Olave

Last week Wright redeemed himself after being beaten several times for key plays. He made the fumble recovery to give the Bears the chance for the winning drive. Wright, the Bears' 6-foot-4, cornerback needs to avoid being beaten by Olave's speed deep. Wright has given up two touchdown passes and 17 completions in 22 targets as Jaylon Johnson's replacement. He's graded 148th out of 171 cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus and 129th against the pass. Stathead tracks him at 115.5 for a passer rating against. Olave has a hip injury and was limited in practice Wednesday but it doesn't appear to be a big issue. So far so good for Olave, who suffered two concussions last year and had his third season end after eight games. His yards per catch has been limited so far at 8.8 but he is getting the ball with great frequency and has 39 receptions in 64 targets. Olave had 1,042 yards in 2022 as a rookie and 1,123 in his second year.

DT Gervon Dexter vs. C Erik McCoy

McCoy, the seventh-year starter, has been a Pro Bowl player the last two years and last season despite making only seven starts due to a groin injury. He's graded the No. 1 pass blocker among centers by Pro Football Focus and has allowed three pressures. He is graded 13th overall among center. Dexter is graded 14th among 192 pass rushers at defensive tackle by PFF and has 11 pressures. He's the Bears' sack leader with 2 1/2 and has eight pressures but trying to go against a Saints interior with McCoy and either guard Trevor Penning or Cesar Ruiz could be a tough challenge.

Last week the Bears pulled Dayo Odeyngbo inside to 3-technique six times in passing situations after they hadn't done it more than once each of the first four games and had positive results from it. So look for more of Dexter challenging inside in passing situations.

RB D'Andre Swift vs. LB Demario Davis

Swift had his biggest game of the season as a receiver and runner going against a team with an older linebacker in Bobby Wagner. Davis is in his 14th season and is 36 years old but not playing like it against the run. The 6-2, 248-pounder is the fifth-highest graded linebacker against the run in the NFL, according to PFF. Davis seems to be reborn in the new 3-4 scheme of Brandon Staley, the former Bears linebackers coach who was a Vic Fangio disciple and head coach of the Chargers. Some of Swift's damage last week to Washington was the key 55-yard TD catch and Davis has also been effective against the pass, grading out 28th of 140 linebackers in the league.

The Saints will try to get Davis attacking downhill. The Bears will want to find ways to get Swift into open space to use his speed against Davis and linebacker Pete Werner, who is graded 105th among 140 linebackers against the pass.

WR DJ Moore vs. CB Alontae Taylor

Moore's injury status will be a concern all week and he'd be lining up against the best overall Saints cornerback, who can be very physical. Taylor has been effective in four of the Saints' six games per PFF and has the highest coverage grade of New Orleans' secondary players who have played significant coverage snaps. Still, Taylor has been beaten twice for touchdowns and if Moore can regain health in time to play, he could have a chance to take advantage of Taylor's gambling.

Taylor is allowing only 7.1 yards a catch, 4.8 per target. Both are huge drops from the last two years when he was giving up double digits in yards per completion and 7.5 yards per target.

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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.