Chicago Bears rookie operating again Roschon Johnson had one of many greatest video games of his NFL profession final week in a 12-10 win towards the Minnesota Vikings.
With D’Onta Foreman out with ankle and shin accidents and Khalil Herbert nonetheless getting again to his previous self after an ankle concern, Johnson obtained extra work than he had all season. The 2023 fourth-round select of Texas performed 74% of the offensive snaps — his earlier excessive was 45% — and logged a career-high 10 carries for 35 yards and 5 catches for 40 yards because the Bears utilized their display and quick passing sport.
There was loads of good to see from Johnson’s efficiency. A clip of him taking out two Vikings defenders whereas defending quarterback Justin Fields went viral after the sport. But coach Matt Eberflus additionally famous there have been “a couple of hiccups” in cross safety towards the high-pressure protection.
Johnson performed an element in two of the Vikings’ three sacks of Fields. He whiffed towards linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. on one. And within the fourth quarter, security Josh Metellus pushed Johnson apart to assist sluggish Fields as Danielle Hunter stripped the quarterback of the soccer.
“He’s still a rookie and he’s got a lot of situations that he hasn’t seen yet in real time and game situations,” Eberflus mentioned. “But he’s a heck of a worker, super smart. He’s a tough guy and he’s one of our better protectors, so he’ll continue to work on that.”
Eberflus has talked loads this season concerning the studying curves for Bears rookies. Of the ten gamers drafted, eight have obtained vital alternatives over the primary 12 video games and two are full-time starters. An undrafted rookie made an enormous contribution midseason.
And like with Johnson’s sport Monday, there have been lots of good moments — and lots of hiccups the rookies have tried to handle.
“It’s one thing to react to something in the heat of the moment,” Eberflus mentioned. “I at all times inform guys that it’s important to step again after the efficiency and have a look at it together with your coach with a transparent eye after which actually look to enhance on that.
“Because there are a lot of things that can come at you if you pay attention to too many things, and what’s important is what’s on tape and what you and your coach are saying about the fundamentals. Then you go right to the practice field and work on those fundamentals and techniques.”
As the Bears return from their bye week to arrange for Sunday’s sport towards the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field, right here’s a have a look at how the rookies have fared via 12 video games.
The first-round decide
When offensive line coach Chris Morgan spoke with reporters after the primary Lions sport, he pointed to the identical mandate for Darnell Wright as he has all season: consistency.
Wright, the No. 10 decide within the 2023 draft, put collectively a powerful efficiency towards the Lions and Aidan Hutchinson, the most recent in an extended line of elite cross rushers Wright has battled.
But on the Bears’ final offensive play, whereas trailing the Lions 29-26, Hutchinson compelled his well past Wright to strip Fields of the ball. As Wright tried to get to the soccer, he kicked it out of the again of the tip zone for a security. The Lions gained 31-26.
“He has to stay on his angle a little bit more, use his length like we know he can and cup that side,” Morgan mentioned. “It’s frustrating because there’s … 60 plays, 70 plays and they all count. He did a really good job (for most of the game). But they all count. He’s going to learn from that.”
Wright has had loads of these studying moments this season, together with in his second flip towards the heavy Vikings rush. Pro Football Focus mentioned he allowed three pressures and was graded at 59.1, about in the midst of his weekly grades this season.
In naming Wright to ESPN’s all-youngster group — fabricated from the highest gamers who’re below 24 — analyst Matt Miller mentioned Wright has run cold and warm: “He has allowed nine sacks — but his flashes in the run game are dominant with a win rate of 77%.”
PFF lists Wright as having allowed six sacks. Wright is also worst amongst Bears gamers with 10 penalties, in accordance with Pro Football Reference. But Miller added that “the traits are there for him to become a star.”
“It’s about experiences,” Morgan mentioned. “And because of the type of competitor he is, it’s only going to make him stronger and make him better. The goal is that it will never happen again. When something happens to you, you fix it and learn from it and move down the road.”
The cornerbacks
When second-round decide Tyrique Stevenson suffered a foot damage on the Walter Payton Center two days earlier than the Vikings sport, it was unlucky timing. Stevenson was coming off a sport towards the Lions through which he had his first profession interception and a compelled fumble on particular groups.
But the Bears didn’t flinch as a result of that they had one other promising rookie prepared. Terell Smith, whom the Bears picked within the fifth spherical out of Minnesota, jumped in to make his third begin rather than Stevenson.
Smith began for cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier within the season earlier than lacking 5 video games with mononucleosis, after which he rotated in to get snaps towards the Lions. Eberflus wasn’t stunned when the Vikings tried to assault Smith early and infrequently.
They accomplished 7 of 8 passes for 45 yards and a 90.1 passer score towards Smith, in accordance with PFF, however Eberflus mentioned he thought Smith was robust and tackled nicely. He led the Bears with eight tackles.
“He’s mature beyond his years,” Eberflus mentioned earlier than the sport. “He takes things in stride. He takes coaching really well. … He really soaks everything in. He’s technique-sound, fundamentally sound and he’s got really good speed. We like his size, being able to play against bigger receivers.”
Eberflus mentioned he hopes Stevenson will return from his damage this season. The second-round decide has seven passes defended and 61 tackles with a 112.5 passer score towards him in 11 video games, in accordance with Pro Football Reference.
Before the Lions sport, cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke recalled the ups and downs of former Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller throughout his rookie season. He mentioned Stevenson additionally has skilled that, noting he was inconsistent towards the New Orleans Saints however performed nicely towards the Carolina Panthers. Then he had his massive sport towards the Lions.
“You’ll see really good flashes, and then you’ll see some plays where you’re going to be a little disappointed in him,” Hoke mentioned. “But as long as he keeps playing physical, because that’s who he is and he needs to play that way. If he starts playing soft, it’s not good. For a rookie, where is that? Where do I fit? He’s still trying to figure it out.”
Eberflus spoke extremely of Stevenson’s potential to maneuver on from unhealthy moments.
“You have to keep learning and put it in your file so you become a better pro,” Eberflus mentioned. “What’s really good about him is he plays one play at a time. He flushes the play and goes to the next one — good, bad or indifferent.”
The defensive tackles
Gervon Dexter wasn’t able to say he’s happy with the place he’s via 12 video games. But the three-technique deal with picked within the second spherical, is completely happy he’s making progress, one thing he attributes to being a wiser participant — each understanding the sport and the best way to make the most of himself inside it.
“Just reading my keys and understanding what’s happening to me, what type of blocks I’m getting or where the slide is going and things like that,” he mentioned. “Just getting a little more knowledge for the game, a little more feel for the game as well.”
Dexter was speaking after he made some massive performs towards the Lions. He had two quarterback hits and 4 pressures and likewise deflected a cross linebacker Tremaine Edmunds intercepted whereas taking part in a season-high 48% of the defensive snaps.
Dexter’s taking part in time has fluctuated because the Bears stay dedicated to a defensive position rotation that features veteran tackles Justin Jones and Andrew Billings with Dexter and third-round decide Zacch Pickens. He logged simply 20 snaps towards the Vikings, with one quarterback hit but additionally a roughing-the-passer penalty. Overall he has seven quarterback hits and two passes defended, and Eberflus had seen sufficient to declare earlier than the Vikings sport that Dexter is “really doing a good job.”
“He’s getting his pads down,” Eberflus mentioned. “He’s taking massive steps. The strategy is nice. The steps towards the quarterback, the whole lot’s pointing towards the quarterback — his toes, his hips. And he’s actually attacking the road of scrimmage.
“He’s playing with length. The centers or the guards, they’re typically not as long, and for him to play with that length there is really impressive. And when he does it right, it looks right because you have a big man denting the pocket and the vision of the quarterback now is diminished.”
Meanwhile, Pickens has 16 tackles, a deal with for a loss, a half-sack, a quarterback hit and a compelled fumble whereas taking part in 23% of the defensive snaps in 12 video games.
Dexter mentioned his strategy has been to concentrate on incremental enhancements.
“Of course (the Lions game) helps my confidence, but I’m just trying to get a percentage better each game, each week,” Dexter mentioned. “So even if I hadn’t played well that game, just get better each week.”
The offensive talent
Fields has voiced assist for greater than one of many Bears rookies over the past couple of weeks, together with Johnson after the Vikings sport.
Johnson has 54 carries for 232 yards and a landing and 24 catches for 131 yards, and Fields mentioned he’s at all times attempting to enhance.
“His work ethic is unmatched,” Fields mentioned. “You just see him working every day, grinding it out and just getting others around him better too. It’s really awesome to see him growing and getting better each and every week.”
Fields additionally provided encouraging phrases to broad receiver Tyler Scott earlier than the Vikings sport after Scott had a tough outing every week earlier. Against the Lions, Scott fumbled after a second-quarter catch and likewise misjudged a Fields deep ball that he couldn’t catch because the Bears have been attempting to hold on to their fourth-quarter lead.
Scott, a fourth-round decide, has 10 catches for 81 yards and 6 carries for 44 yards. He additionally has 5 kickoff returns for 108 yards. He hasn’t had greater than two catches in a sport and wasn’t focused towards the Vikings.
“I’m not losing faith in him one game, two games, however many games,” Fields mentioned. “I’m going to maintain going again to him. He’s going to be an ideal receiver. He has lots of room to develop and he’s proficient even now. He’s made lots of performs for us this yr on offense, particular groups. He’s a speedster. Not many DBs can sustain with him.
“He had a tough game, but we’ve all had tough games. I’ve had a lot of tough games. It does nothing but make me better, make him better. At the end of the day, he’s a hard worker. He’s not going to let one, two, three games define who he is as a player. I have full faith in Tyler. Everybody else does too.”
Scott mentioned after the sport he must proceed to log reps so he doesn’t make the error of misjudging a cross like that from Fields once more.
“Tyler will make that the next time we give him that opportunity,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy mentioned.
The shock
No participant’s contribution was extra sudden than that of undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, who went from taking part in at Division II Shepherd to beginning 4 video games for the Bears when Fields was out with a dislocated proper thumb.
Bagent confirmed he not less than is usually a succesful backup within the NFL as he helped the Bears to a 2-2 document. He accomplished 94 of 143 passes for 859 yards with three touchdowns, six interceptions, 5 sacks and three fumbles. The spotlight got here when he led a 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first profession begin; the lowlight was when he dedicated 4 turnovers in a loss to the Saints.
Eberflus mentioned he noticed Bagent develop in dealing with a rowdy street surroundings early within the Saints sport earlier than the sloppy second half. And he favored that he protected the soccer the following week towards the Panthers.
“We never put a ceiling on players, but we certainly like where his floor is,” Eberflus mentioned. “Guys can grow into certain spaces that they didn’t even think they could. So you have to give them that opportunity, but we certainly like where he is right now.”
Among different Bears draft picks, linebacker Noah Sewell, a fifth-rounder, has performed in 10 video games, totally on particular groups, with eight tackles and a compelled fumble. He has been out the final two video games with a knee damage.
Safety Kendall Williamson, a seventh-round decide, is on the Bears observe squad. The Atlanta Falcons signed defensive lineman Travis Bell, additionally a seventh-rounder, off the Bears observe squad.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com