Chicago Bears: 5 Players who must shine vs. Giants in Week 12

Leonard Floyd, Linebacker

I hear people complaining about what’s happening with Khalil Mack. After a fast start to the season (4.5 sacks in the first four games), he’s been quiet. He’s gone five out of his last six games without registering a sack.

Interestingly, this trend started during the Oakland Raiders game in London in Week 5 when Akiem Hicks left the game. Hicks was the sole defender around Mack who could reduce some of the double teams he faced.

Mack has Leonard Floyd on his opposite side but it hasn’t worked. Having Mack on the team was supposed to help Floyd get big numbers. He, in turn, would take the pressure from Mack.

So far, however, Floyd has done nothing to protect Mack. Floyd is on pace to record about five sacks this season. He has three, but two of them came in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. It turns out that Hicks was the guy protecting Mack instead of Floyd.

It’s about time for Floyd to do something. He is playing for a new contract, not only for Chicago but also for other teams. The Bears picked up his fifth-year option, but it’s only guaranteed in case of injury. If he continues to play poorly, there is no way the team pays him $13.22 million. Without any dead salary cap money occurring by cutting him, and with them needing cap relief, they’ll most certainly part ways with him.

At some point, Floyd needs to look in the mirror and say enough is enough. Enough of the excuses and enough of the explanations of how much better he’ll play, he has to come up with results. He’ll have a bad defense in front of him this week so those results must happen now.