The Bears play the Saints in the wild card and come in playing the Saints tough in the first game.
The keys to the game for the Bears are as follows:
Its hard to say the impact Thomas will have because he hasn't played but I m sure that will have to be seen as the game gets played out.
Le's start on the defensive side of the football:
1. Kamara is a wr playing rb. You cant cover him often with a rb. Big problem. The Bears need to get better matchups vs Kamara out of the backfield. He killed them last game. That is a major key to the game. He hasn't been killing it in the run game but you have to get a matchup on him both out of the backfield and in the slot.
a. play the free safety on kamara and put the lb on the te. They tried that a few times.
They run a sam pressure below but drop mack as a rat and he actually gets in the way of the safety.47 yard gain
Kamara gets wide open on the route out of the backfield for 47 yards
Here they run it on a key 2nd and 10. Hold them to no gain as the safety makes the play on the tackle.
b. go dime and put a safety/nickel on Kamara in passing down and get better matchups. Do they match and put a cb if Michael Thomas comes in and plays the slot? How do you handle Kamara in empty.
2. Handling the Saints run game and fronts. Really need to do a good job squeezing with de and playing solid gap football
The Saints run game is as follows:
1. Inside Zone Weak (Away from TE) from the gun
2. Gap Scheme Strong (To the TE), either Power or Duo
3. Wide Zone Strong (To the TE).
Play 1 is Gun Inside Zone Weak. The result is a 20 yard gain by Alvin Kamara.
Play 2, Duo w/extra OL at Point of Attack: Saints Coaching staff uses a shift and a motion to gain a personnel advantage at the POA. Again, they are running off a support player with pass responsibilities. Another major advantage and scheme they will use. They killed the Vikings running duo amongst other things.
3. Handling Hill in the run game when he plays qb. They need to contain him, but also be careful of him throwing the football.
Play 2 is a QB Power with Taysom Hill as QB for a 13 yard gain. Hill is such a unique talent because he is so dynamic with the ball. Defensively, you have to respect and prepare for the Wildcat run game with a legitimate threat to pass as well.
4. Play your defense, don't overreach this game. Play zone keep things in front and pick your spots to play zone. Be smart!
5. You have to double cooks on the goalie. Think thought has to be given to doubling cooks and Kamara in the red zone.
Here they double Kamara but leave Cooks 1x1 for the touchdown. Cooks runs the slant up top.
Here is another example where Brees wants to go to Cooks but throws it behind him. Would have been an easy touchdown. You need to double or bracket Cooks down in the red zone.
Offensive Keys
1. They need to get A Robinson the ball early and get him involved. Run some crossing routes, slants and play action routes to get him in the game. They need to get him a few completions early. He needs to have 5-6 catches.
2. Expect a ton of man coverage. The Bears need to run some good man beaters. Motion Robinson , stack wr and run some rub routes. Jimmy Graham has to work the middle of the field. The Saints are going to play man free and getting the ball down field against very good man coverage will be key.
Here's a nice rub route to Miller vs man coverage.
Miller goes in motion and gets a nice pick route and gets wide open for 15 over the middle.
3. Get Miller involved again. He played really well last game and worked the middle of the field nicely.
4. They are going to have to take a shot or 2 downfield early. Cant wait to the end of the game. They need to loosen the Saints up early and hit them over the top. I think the safeties are aggressive and they can hit 1-2 over the top.
Here's a whole post on how the Saints play defense.
https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/search/label/saints%20defense
My prediction Bears 24-Saints 21.
Michael Thomas playing actually hurts the Saints more than it helps and the Bears pull the upset.
