ChicagoBears.com’s Larry Mayer and Simon Kaufman talk about the Bears players they’ll be keeping an eye on in Sunday night’s home game versus the Minnesota Vikings.
Mayer
Offence: Tarik Cohen, running back
The explosive second-year player adds adaptability and big-play potential to a Bears offence that has been extremely hard to contain lately. Cohen has ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries and caught 30 catches for 387 yards and three scores in the last six games. Against the solid Vikings defence, which is third against the run and sixth in the NFL, he should continue to be a key component of the offence on Sunday night.
Coach Matt Nagy stated, “He can play a lot of different positions.” “He is well-versed in the nuances of this offence. We have the option to employ him in several capacities. His enthusiasm is contagious. Because of his practice methods and contagious zeal, he elevates the bar for others.”
Cohen has played a variety of positions for the Bears, and he has flourished in each one. This week, like it is every week, he will give the Vikings a challenging opponent. Mark Helfrich, the offensive coordinator, described him as “a fun guy to coach.” “He completes tasks at a speed of 100 miles per hour. He’s been a versatile player for us, having played halfback, inside, and outside. There’s more to him.”
Defence: Khalil Mack, outside linebacker
In the victory over the Lions last weekend, the All-Pro pass rusher appeared to have fully recovered from his ankle injury. On Sunday night, he will take on quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Vikings in an attempt to maintain his domination. Mack missed the first two games due to an injury he acquired on October 14 in Miami, but he got two sacks against Detroit.
In back-to-back victories over the Jets and Bills, the Bears defence performed admirably even without Mack, but it is undeniably superior when the 2016 NFL defensive player of the year is on the field. With seven sacks, Mack leads the Bears and has four forced fumbles, which ties him for the NFL lead. With Von Miller of the Broncos and Chandler Jones of the Cardinals, he has shared the second-highest number of sacks in the NFL with 43.5 since the 2015 season began, with Jones having 49.
Mack will try to maintain his stellar performance in primetime on Sunday night. In his first two night games of the season, against the Packers and Seahawks in Weeks 1-2, he recorded a strip/sack and at Green Bay, he returned an interception for a score.
Anthony Miller, receiver, was the Kaufman offender.
Miller just had an incredible week. Against the Lions, the rookie showed off his skills, hauling in five passes for a season-high 122 yards and his fourth touchdown of the year. Allen Robinson II, a receiver, returned after missing two games due to a groyne injury, which helped. By deflecting some of Miller’s attention, the seasoned receiver was able to expose the gaps in the Lions defence against the Bears receiving group.
Last Sunday, Miller demonstrated his exceptional skill when it came to deep ball receptions. He broke tackles to secure a 45-yard touchdown reception in the first half and wrangled in a 55-yard reception across the middle in the third quarter. Should Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky maintain his accuracy when throwing long passes, Miller will pose a threat to the Vikings secondary. Making room against a defence that includes some explosive playmakers in cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes and safety Harrison Smith will be crucial.
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