Player two: Kindle Vildor
Kindle Vildor has had a relatively solid season so far. When quarterbacks have focused in on attacking a Bears cornerback, it has usually been Kyler Gordon. The Cowboys went against the grain and looked to go after Kindle Vildor in coverage. The first couple of drives saw a multitude of targets in the direction of Vildor, specifically when he was guarding Michael Gallup. Vildor could not shadow the routes and was beaten on some important third downs.
The Bears have put a lot of faith into Vildor these last two years, and this year they especially needed him to step up with the lack of depth in the position. Vildor has quietly been improving over recent weeks, but it was a bit of a setback against the Cowboys.
While Jaylon Johnson was out, he was asked to be the team’s number-one corner, and it showed he was not ready for that role. However, he is being asked to play the boundary opposite Johnson. Teams barely throw in the direction of Johnson, so whoever is playing that number two position will see a bulk of targets. If Vildor wants to remain in this role going forward and remain part of the Bears long-term plans, he is going to have to show something. So far, the return has not been good from Vildor.