The Chicago Bears will cap off a wild week in the NFL on Monday night when they take on the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field.
The Bears and Seahawks are both looking for their first win of the young season, with the Bears losing last week to the Green Bay Packers and the Seahawks falling to the Denver Broncos.
If the Bears are going to overcome the Seahawks and earn that first win of the season, they’ll have their hands full, but these five players could be the difference between winning and losing.
Trey Burton
Burton was targeted six times in his Bears debut, but hauled in just one pass for 15 yards in the season opening loss in Green Bay. If the Bears are going to reverse their fortunes and get a win against Seattle, Burton will need to figure more prominently in the team’s offense, and Mitchell Trubisky will need to look for his starting tight end more often than he did in that first game.
Tarik Cohen
Cohen is an interesting player for the Bears, as he can be used all over the field on passing and running plays. He had just 41 yards of offense in the Week 1 loss, including three catches, but it didn’t seem as though the Bears utilized him often enough in the passing game. Look for him to make more of an impact with several key Seattle defenders missing from their front seven.
Local
Eddie Jackson
Russell Wilson is a shifty player that can move out of the pocket and sling the ball deep at will, and it will be up to Jackson to make smart decisions when he’s playing at the safety spot. Doug Baldwin won’t be around to stretch the field, but Jackson will still be called upon when Wilson dumps the ball off or takes off running, and he’ll have to be ready.
Roquan Smith
Smith figures to play a more prominent role in the team’s defense this week, and that is good news, as he and Khalil Mack combined to make a formidable pair against Green Bay in limited action. Smith is really speedy and smart on the field, and if he can accurately diagnose plays from the middle, he is going to be a big-time asset to Vic Fangio and company.
Cody Whitehair
Snaps have been an issue for Whitehair over the last two seasons, and he had more troubles in Week 1 in getting the ball into Trubisky’s hands. That simply can’t happen with that level of frequency if Matt Nagy’s squad is going to be successful, and it will be interesting to see whether he can solve those problems as the season goes along.
