Chicago Bears WR matchups: Week One Detroit Lions
Who will have the advantages when the Chicago Bears wide receivers take on the Detroit Lions cornerbacks?
The Chicago Bears obvious leader for targets in Week One against the Detroit Lions is Allen Robinson. The Bears do a nice job of moving Robinson around the formation to get him in different matchups throughout the game.
That can be shown by his 35% slot rate in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. He also lined up 35% of the time on the left side to 28% of the time right side. The Detroit Lions have a set of new cornerbacks, but all indications are that they will stick to sides, and that means Robinson will see a variation of all three cornerbacks in Week One.
Desmond Trufant has spent the majority of his career as a left cornerback who does not move around. Jeff Okudah is a rookie who also has played one side in his college career. The Lions may let Okudah travel eventually, but the odds are that Robinson will see a little of both.
In Trufant, the Lions have a 28-year-old cornerback coming off of an injury-filled season that saw his worst play. That is why the Falcons eventually let him go. Beyond that, Trufant is moving from Atlanta, a primary zone defense, to Detroit, a team that runs man more than almost any team. We will see how this transition goes, as well as if Trufant has any juice.
Okudah is an elite cornerback prospect and has the size, and fluidity to hang with an athlete such as Robinson. However, that is one heck of an asks for a rookie cornerback in his debut. Robinson should be in an advantageous situation regardless.
The Bears may want to test the rookie on the elite receiver because this could leave Ted Ginn on Trufant. Sure, Ginn is an older receiver, but as noted with Trufant aging and off of injuries, it would be smart to make him run a few go routes against the speedster before letting Robinson take him on.
Lastly, this leaves Anthony Miller against Justin Coleman. Miller spends 78% of his snaps in the slot, and Coleman plays 71% of his snaps in the slot. When Miller is on the field he will see Coleman and vice versa.
The first time the two met, Miller was shut down to just one catch and seven yards. However, in their second matchup, Miller put up 9 catches for 140 yards. Coleman specifically allowed eight receptions for 117 yards in that matchup. After his play declined a bit in 2019, there is a question as to whether or not Coleman is another Seattle system corner who struggles elsewhere.
Next. Allen Robinson advanced stats review. dark
Who has the edge
Jeff Okudah could be a problem for years to come, but Allen Robinson has the advantage over any cornerback on the Lions right now. While Ginn can see how much rust Trufant has, both Trufant and Okudah are known for their deep speed, so either should be able to find an advantage. However, if Trufant lost a step, and the Lions have to shift their safeties to Ginn, even if Ginn does not produce, he opens space for the rest of the offense.
Lastly, Miller should have the edge over Coleman. At the least, the Bears should be able to use Ginn to open space and attack underneath with their two higher volume receivers. It will be fun to see just how advanced Okudah is.