5 Week 3 matchups Chicago Bears must win
Roquan Smith vs Chris Thompson
Jay Gruden has made it clear how they will use their running backs. Adrian Peterson will see the field when it is time to power. He will run in the I formation and close out games. The issue with that is that the Bears have a stout run defense and should be able to force the team into passing situations.
That will leave Chris Thompson on the field. If the Bears have a lead or are shutting down the run, expect to see plenty of Thompson. Roquan Smith has been excellent this season, specifically against the run.
One of his issues is that he does give up a lot of receptions to running backs. The good news is that with his speed and tackling ability, he does not give up many yards. However, he does lead the team in completions allowed.
The BEars will take this, as they will let the Skins take small gains rather than push the ball down the field. Washington sees it as more effective than running Peterson into a brick wall.
As the game goes on, look for Smith to be tested by the pass-catching running back. If Thompson has a ton of catches, only worry about the yards after the catch, which will show whether Smith did his job or not.