The Chicago Bears got a surprise performance from their starting slot receiver, Kalif Raymond, in Week 1 that might work to their advantage in their upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings.
In last week's 59-37 shootout win over the Carolina Panthers, Raymond led the team in receptions. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams targeted Raymond nine times, and Raymond caught eight for 84 yards in the win.
It was surprising to see Raymond pay so well, especially after all the offseason and preseason hype about Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze. That might be the key to the Bears beating the Vikings in Week 2, though.
Kalif Raymond holds the key to a Bears win over the Vikings in Week 2
The Vikings' secondary got gashed by the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 despite picking up the double-digit win. They surrendered 353 yards in the victory, but one Minnesota player seemed to take the biggest hits.
Vikings corners James Pierre and Isaiah Rodgers played well and earned high grades from Pro Football Focus. Nickel corner and veteran Byron Murphy Jr. really struggled in the Vikings-Packers game. He allowed four receptions for 60 yards, with a passer rating of 85.4.
Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 54.4, ranking 63rd out of 91 corners in the NFL. He also received a coverage grade of 57.3 and a run-defense grade of 49.3.
Raymond, on the other hand, earned a spectacular PFF grade of 90.2 overall, ranking seventh out of 65 receivers. They also gave him a receiving grade of 86.8, ranking eighth among 65 qualified wide receivers.
Chicago now has a simple solution: get the ball to Raymond. Murphy will go up against Raymond, making it easier for the Bears to know what to do.
The Vikings blitzed over 80% of the time in the win over the Packers, which is just music to Bears head coach Ben Johnson's ears. All Chicago needs to do on those blitzes is get Raymond on a quick slant or crossing route and let his speed do the rest against Murphy, who won't be able to keep up.
This could also open the door for the Bears' tight ends, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, to have monster days. If Murphy somehow gets stuck covering those guys, that could become a massive advantage for the Bears to exploit.
Read more: Caleb Williams should easily throw for 350 yards in Bears' Week 2 Vikings game
As long as the Bears keep attacking the middle of the field, they should have a massive advantage over the Vikings. Raymond could make that Week 1 performance look like child's play compared to how he can seriously hurt Murphy and Minnesota.
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