The Chicago Bears defense wasn’t perfect on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, but they were good enough. They held a talented offense to just 14 points and harassed Dak Prescott all day. Most of the credit for that deservedly goes to guys like Montez Sweat (6 pressures), Gervon Dexter (6 pressures), Tremaine Edmunds (2 INTs), and Tyrique Stevenson (forced fumble). However, nestled in the middle of all that was Shemar Turner. The Bears’ 2nd round pick hadn’t seen the field for weeks due to an injury setback in training camp. Sunday marked the first time he got to play this season.
He was on the field for 23 snaps. On the stat sheet, Turner doesn’t show up much. However, on the tape, you already see signs of what the Bears drafted. His first play saw him get instant penetration on a run, forcing Javonte Williams to cut back into a wall of waiting defenders. On the third play, he got a good bull rush on the center, squeezing the pocket and forcing Prescott into an incompletion. There were times when he was overwhelmed by more experienced blockers, but he kept fighting and played with the intensity that was his trademark in college. He showed good use of his hands in his pass rush, even beating Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith a couple of times.
As he gets more comfortable, it’s clear the Bears may have something.
Shemar Turner might’ve been the jolt the Bears needed.
Not necessarily in production, but in juice. His emotion was evident every time he was on the field. It can be taken for granted when you don’t have somebody like that in the huddle with you. Other guys tend to feed off the energy. Shemar Turner was always at his best when playing with an edge. It is why Dennis Allen liked him so much. As good as Sweat and Dexter are, neither come across as emotional leaders. Turner can become that. All he needs is to find the production to pair it with. Getting to play alongside Grady Jarrett is a huge bonus. You can already tell the two-time Pro Bowler is influencing the rookie with how he’s approaching the little details.
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