The loss to the Detroit Lions was easy to take the wind out of some Chicago Bears fans. The playoffs are now almost out of the picture already, and it is not Thanksgiving. Still, we all knew that this season was more about the progress of certain players heading into a big offseason than it was about stacking wins. With that in mind, there is a lot to watch in the next couple of months.
Who are some players that the coaches should play more during the late portions of the season to see what they have?
5. The Chicago Bears should play Dominique Robinson’s starter snaps
When the Chicago Bears traded Robert Quinn, we thought that would be a huge impact on the snaps that the fifth-round rookie was playing. However, they just moved Al-Quadin Muhammad to the side of Quinn and gave Trevis Gipson a full snap share. So, Dominique Robinson played the same role.
With the injury to Muhammad, we got to see what Robinson could do with increased work. It is not like he changed the defense or won the game for the Chicago Bears, but this is a guy who was a wide receiver in the MAC just over two years ago. Now, he is in the NFL and starting at the defensive end for the Chicago Bears.
Muhammad is going to miss again this week, meaning Robinson will now stack two straight starts. The reality is that even when Muhammad returns, at this point they should just stick with Robinson and see what type of progress he can make in December.
At the very least, they cannot keep treating the duo as if it is Still Quinn and Robinson. Quinn deserved to keep Robinson on the bench, and Muhammad can split snaps or can back up both Gipson and Robinson, but they should keep Robinson playing over half of the snaps the rest of the way.
4. Should the Chicago Bears make N’Keal Harry
One small surprise from Sunday was that N’Keal Harry was inactive. We knew that the team preferred Byron Pringle over him, but there was a chance that perhaps Equanimeous St. Brown was a bit repetitive as a blocker compared to Harry.
However, the Chicago Bears made a clear statement that ESB is still the better option over Harry by making Harry inactive. Now, the question is whether they should have done that. We cannot compare pedigree at this point, but Harry still has much more untapped upside. We have seen what ESB can do.
He is reliable, and the coaches obviously like him, which will make it tough for them to move on from him to Harry. However, they are not winning with St. Brown and would be much better served to have an idea of what Harry could potentially bring to the team. Perhaps they are already out on Harry.
Harry missed practice this week with an illness and likely will be inactive again on Sunday. Still, if the losses keep coming, there is no reason t keep sitting N’Keal Harry. They have four games after the bye, and that may be the time we see him the most.
3. Will Alex Leatherwood start for the Chicago Bears at some point?
The Chicago Bears are going to sit out Teven Jenkins for the second straight week. While the team is likely to play Michael Schofield, you would hope that the backup snaps would be going to Alex Leatherwood.
One reason Alex Leatherwood was released after being a first-round pick was that the Raiders played him in a few different spots and he did not excel. Still, that puts the Chicago Bears in an interesting spot where they have an athlete who has experience everywhere but center, but no true home.
If Braxton Jones is looking like he hits a rookie wall, it could be Leatherwood. Cody Whitehair has already been hurt, and now they have a young backup healthy. Leatherwood should be getting right guard snaps right now, and they have already started multiple right tackles, so why not throw Leatherwood into the mix?
The Chicago Bears should give him a chance at some point, as it would be beneficial to know if they can trust him heading into the offseason. Still, the question becomes, where?
2. Are Chicago Bears seeing enough from Jack Sanborn
The big winner of the Roquan Smith trade has been Jack Sanborn. Sanborn had a huge game in his second career start. He produced two sacks and an interception. He almost had two picks, and some will say that he should have if it were not for a penalty on Jaylon Johnson that did not impact the play.
While the ups were very high, there still have been ups and downs, and it makes sense considering he is a UDFA. Now, we have to find out whether he is just a hot flash in the pan, or whether he will actually form into a consistent every-down linebacker in the NFL.
If the Chicago Bears can turn a UDFA into a starting linebacker, that is a huge win. When you add in the compensation for Roquan Smith, and it turns into Sanborn starting, that is what can ignite a rebuild.
Of course, for some of these players, we are projecting more playing time. For Jack Sanborn, he is going to get it. We are going to get see what Sanborn has to offer whether any wants it to happen or not. He has two starts and with seven to go, we have plenty to learn.
1. Should the Chicago Bears test Josh Blackwell in coverage
The Chicago Bears may not have Kindle Vildor in coverage again. That may mean more snaps with Jaylon Jones as one of the three starting cornerbacks. Jones is another player where it is fine to see him fail, because there may be signs of growth in the next seven games.
However, another name to keep an eye on is Josh Blackwell. Blackwell was a UDFA who initially signed with the Eagles but was let go. The Chicago Bears claimed him, and he has been active all season.
Blackwell has been a helpful asset on special teams this season. So, why not give him a promotion for being a top asset in that unit? At the least, the team should have him up over Lamar Jackson. Jaylon Johnson was banged up for a small portion of time against the Lions, and when he went down, it was Lamar Jackson up. At the least, we should see what Blackwell has over him.
It is fine to keep playing Jaylon Jones, and between Jones and Blackwell, we should see them to get a fair look heading into the offseason.