Which Chicago Bears were winners in Week 9 vs. Saints?
Chicago Bears Week 9 Winner No. 3: Jack Sanborn
The Jack Sanborn takeover from last year had gotten quiet this season after T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds were brought in during the offseason. Sanborn is the third guy who gets rotated in and out, depending on if they use a nickel package. Since we have not seen as much of Sanborn, fans have sort of cooled off on the hype for him.
While his game against the Saints was not perfect, he did show that he is a key piece for this Bears defense. They have the luxury of having three starting linebackers, and Sanborn showed that he could have probably been the second linebacker if the Bears only brought in one of the free agents. Nothing he did flew off the page, nor did he fill up the stat sheet, but he played well alongside Edwards and finished with nine total tackles, which was second on the team.
What Sanborn lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with instinct, awareness, and anticipation. Obviously, he has a great frame for the position as well, which allows him to get off blocks. While he is not the best in pass coverage, he made multiple plays against the run and on third-down tackling, which is super important for the Bears bend don't break cover-two defense.
Next. 3 lost causes for the Chicago Bears for the second half of 2023. 3 lost causes for the Chicago Bears for the second half of 2023. dark
The Chicago Bears once again just could not stay competitive with a veteran team. They were clearly outcoached and when it came down to trying to go out and win a game, they once again fell apart. Tyson Bagent was a tale of two halves and the defense did not force any turnovers, but at least there were some more pleasant performances to take note of. Right?