Did this coaching decision cost Chicago Bears vs 49ers?
Leading up to the Chicago Bears game with the San Francisco 49ers, I wrote about the tough decision coaches faced with Deebo Samuel. It was evident that he was their top pass catcher, but it would be tough for Jaylon Johnson to follow him as he has done with most top targets.
The 49ers align and move Deebo Samuel around pre-snap in ways that make it challenging for one cornerback to stay on him all game. He will motion or run a jet sweep that makes moving Jaylon Johnson to his side completely irrelevant.
I noted that I did not think the Bears would follow Samuel with Johnson and was correct; Johnson stuck to his side. Now, the question is whether or not that was the right decision.
Samuel kept the team in the game and eventually took the game over for himself. He finished with 171 yards, but 133 came on two receptions. Unfortunately for the Bears, the first catch was running downfield against Kindle Vildor, while the second was a screen from the slot against Duke Shelley.
It would just so happen that the 49ers could get Samuel away from Johnson, and boom, both cornerbacks, were exposed by Samuel.
This is complicated in some ways because on the screen, Shelley is far from the only culprit. Johnson could have impacted that play as well, although he was further downfield being blocked.
On the deep ball over Vildor, you have to wonder if Eddie Jackson could have helped when healthy. Bears fans hate his tackling but do not mention that he helps limit bombs down the field like Sunday.
Beyond that, the reality is that when you have Jaylon Johnson against anyone who is not Deebo Samuel, you have to recognize the matchup and shift coverages. Johnson will shut down anyone he faces without help, and if he loses, that is something you can live with.
Next. Do coaches prefer Jesse James to Jimmy Graham. dark
You cannot live with Samuel not getting extra brackets and coverage attention on the snaps where he moved away from Johnson. You knew it was going to happen for big chunks of the game, and you knew he was the only player who could kill you.
It is tough to draw up a game plan to shut down someone so versatile, but the Bears did not do a good enough job Sunday.