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Breaking down the Chicago Bears’ two-way dominance and Los Angeles Chargers’ lockdown defense
The NFL playoff stakes are rising fast. With nine divisional clashes on deck in Week 11, teams can make a surge, suffer a setback, or completely reshape their postseason path in a single afternoon.
DAZN News’ Gavin Babbitt breaks down two NFL units to watch below.
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Chicago Bears’ multi-faceted offense
First-year head coach Ben Johnson has addressed two major issues that plagued the Bears last year. The offensive line is protecting Caleb Williams more effectively, and the running game has shown improvement. Chicago ranks second in the NFL in yardage over the last three weeks.
The Bears have three players who are effective on the ground. D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, and Caleb Williams all average roughly five yards per carry. The group has a combined nine rushing touchdowns this year.
The rotation at running back keeps both Swift and Monangai fresh, and offsets incompletions from Williams. The Bears are one of the best teams in the league at using the running game to extend drives.
Thanks to a deep receiving corps, Chicago is facing few stacked boxes. The Bears are taking advantage, leading the league in explosive runs (44) with Williams effectively scrambling against light defensive fronts. Averaging nearly 150 rushing yards on offense wears down any defense over the course of a game.
With the production on the ground, the Bears use play-action to open up the passing game. This is a go-to for Ben Johnson in keeping his offense on the field. Williams has thrown for 45 first downs off play-action this season, and is a top-10 quarterback in yards per attempt on those plays (8.4).
Chicago diversifies its formations, keeping defenses on their heels in the passing game. The Bears are tied for ninth in the NFL in passing yards per play (6.7). Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus and Colston Loveland rotate between the outside and the slot.
Odunze is Williams’ favorite target, and the duo thrives on routes under 10 yards. Odunze has three touchdowns and has caught 21 of 25 targets underneath. The former Washington Husky pairs it with big-play ability that strains defenses both shallow and deep.
This unit has a diverse collection of skill players, insulating it from injuries. The Bears face the Vikings this week. Another win will see them rise even further in our NFL power rankings.
Los Angeles Chargers are playing sound defense
The Chargers’ defense is effective between the 20s, and pairs it with stingy play in the red zone. Los Angeles is fourth in the NFL in third-down conversion rate allowed (34.2%) and has conceded only 19 touchdowns this season.
Defending the pass is where the Chargers excel. They rank fifth in passing yardage per play allowed (5.2). Los Angeles is playing the majority of its snaps in zone coverage behind a light box.
Safety Derwin James and linebacker Daiyan Henley have been strong covering the slot. This has paid off in the red zone. Los Angeles’ nine passing touchdowns allowed are tied for third in the NFL.
The Chargers alternate four different cornerbacks on the outside. This gives quarterbacks different looks throughout a game and forces a complex set of reads.
Tarheeb Still, Donte Jackson, Cam Hart and Benjamin St-Juste all play both sides of the field. This collection of players is excellent at forcing incompletions. Still, Jackson and Hart are among the top-25 cornerbacks in pass breakups this year.
The Los Angeles pass rush is a deep unit that has been blessed with health this season. Having a multitude of players in this role allows the Chargers to keep steady pressure on opponents for the duration of drives.
Playing on the opposite edge of Odafe Oweh has opened things up for Tuli Tuipulotu. The third-year pass rusher is on pace to double his career-high sack total. He is in the top 10 in the category and has 32 quarterback hurries this season. Khalil Mack has been productive on the outside when available. The veteran has four sacks in six games this year.
The pressure from the outside has created opportunities for Justin Eboigbe and Teair Tart to get in the backfield. These two are also quality run-stoppers with only one missed tackle combined in the running game.
Troy Dye, Daiyan Henley and Derwin James lead the team in running game tackles. James shows another dynamic of his game here to go with his ability in coverage and as a pass rusher.
The Chargers are favorites on the road against the Jaguars on Sunday.
