Kyler Gordon was the scapegoat for many from the Chicago Bears‘ rough 27-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He was targeted no less than 13 times by Aaron Rodgers, by far the most of any defensive back. Ten of those passes were completed for 165 yards and two touchdowns. It’s obvious the Packers intended to pick on him and had lots of success doing so. That means he must’ve looked lost out there, right?
Not exactly. NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger saw something different when reviewing the tape. Gordon stood out positively on several reps Sunday night, both in coverage and as a run defender. It was enough for him to post a two-minute video highlighting several instances. Baldinger thinks Gordon had a growing moment in Green Bay, as most young players do. Once he has the experience, he will become a good player for this team.
.@ChicagoBears @kyler_gordon has talent and instincts! Can’t coach either of those. Just getting more experienced! First trip to Lambeau is a big deal for any Bear. #dabears #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/bIUvXHNk2C
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 20, 2022
Kyler Gordon was given a rough job.
Most rookie cornerbacks start their NFL career playing on the outside. It makes sense. They can use the sideline to their advantage against receivers and will have safety help over the top. The Bears didn’t give their top draft pick any such luxury. They threw him right into the nickel corner spot from the jump. That is a brutal first assignment. Nickel corners not only have to cover more ground, but they also don’t have much help from safeties. It’s one-on-one quite often. Against a pinpoint passer like Aaron Rodgers, that is asking a lot.
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Whenever Gordon got to line up outside, he was far better. The cold reality is the coaches don’t think they have anybody more capable of playing nickel. Tavon Young and Thomas Graham Jr. couldn’t stay healthy. Now both are gone. They seem content to let Kyler Gordon work through the growing pains. The good news is he won’t face many quarterbacks like Rodgers the rest of the season.
Provided he doesn’t lose confidence in himself, he has more than enough ability to get a lot better in the coming months.
