The Chicago Bears need all the help they can get to win their home opener. They’ve struggled to beat the Minnesota Vikings for years, often suffering from mismatches at head coach, quarterback, or both. For the first time, it feels like the two teams might be on equal footing. Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy are both 1st round picks. Kevin O’Connell and Ben Johnson are both premier offensive play callers. The Bears also have the advantage of home-field. The only thing they needed was to reach kickoff healthy. Adam Schefter didn’t help with those hopes.
Nothing is ever simple with this team. Injuries have hit the defense hard in recent weeks. Linebacker T.J. Edwards is already out with a hamstring problem. Now the secondary is in deep trouble. Jaylon Johnson only just returned from a groin injury that kept him out of training camp, leaving his status uncertain. Worse still, nickel corner Kyler Gordon popped up with a hamstring problem of his own a couple of days ago. Schefter appeared on The Pat McAfee Show, where he didn’t sound optimistic that either player would suit up.
Adam Schefter isn’t prone to giving inaccurate info.
If he says both players are long shots, it’s a safe bet neither plays. That puts the Bears in a highly compromising position. Being down your two best cornerbacks against an offense that features Justin Jefferson is not ideal. Minnesota also brought back the ever-reliable Adam Thielen via trade. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen prefers playing aggressive man coverage, enabling him to attack the line of scrimmage. For that to work, you need quality cornerbacks. With Johnson and Gordon out, the Bears are looking at Nahshon Wright and Josh Blackwell as potential replacements. Asking them to play man against that receiving corps is dangerous. Either Allen must adjust his plans, or the Bears might need to prepare to score points to win. Hopefully, Adam Schefter is wrong.
