Chicago Bears: Key players who must step up for Week 3 win vs. Falcons
2. Bears rookie class keeps impressing
One of the things the national media noticed is how well the Chicago Bears drafted in 2020. Their rookies have already had an impact in both games.
That trend continues in Week 3. The Falcons pass defense is horrible. It ranks 31st in passing yards allowed, 25th in passing touchdowns, and 26th in interceptions. The Bears receivers will be able to come up with big plays.
One of those receivers is Darnell Mooney. The rookie has been impressing people since he stepped foot in training camp. He’s caught all six targets thrown his way and had a touchdown reception last week.
Look for Mooney to have another good game. This time, he’ll use his blazing speed to make a big play. He ran a 4.38-second 40 at the NFL Combine and this week he’ll get to show it off.
Jaylon Johnson has played like a seasoned veteran instead of a rookie with no preseason games under his belt. In Week 1 he was tested time and again, but he came through by batting a pass up so Kyle Fuller could come up with a huge interception and he also batted the pass on the final play of the game to preserve the victory.
For the season, Johnson has five pass breakups. That’s the second-most by a rookie since the stat was created in 1999 (Marcus Peters had 7 in 2015). Of the seven passes throw towards him, only three of them were completed. He’s allowed a passer rating of only 64.2.
Johnson keeps in mind that there were six cornerbacks chosen ahead of him. Four of them were chosen in the first round. All four of them have allowed passer ratings of over 110.
This week is a tough challenge for Johnson. He likely goes up against one of the top receivers in the league, Julio Jones. Johnson doesn’t feel nervous about that. Reporters asked him about matching up against Jones and if he was in awe of him. His response was perfect, per the team’s official website:
"No, not since I’ve gotten to the NFL. I did as a kid in high school and maybe in college, but at the end of the day, he bleeds the same way I bleed, so I’m just going to go out there and compete. I mean, he’s the best, and I consider myself one of the best, so we’ve just got to match up."
That’s what you want in your cornerback — confident to the point of cockiness. Johnson won’t back down to any challenge and wants to show quickly that he’s going to be one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
Cole Kmet hasn’t been a big part of the offense yet but he did get his first NFL catch in Week 2. There were a number of plays in which he was open but he either wasn’t seen or the pass wasn’t able to be completed.
Head coach Matt Nagy has been impressed with Kmet. The rookie had a great training camp. Nagy noticed that and said Kmet will play a bigger part in the offense. This week could be the start of that.
Prediction: Mooney finishes with 86 yards receiving, including a 45-yard bomb. Jaylon Johnson records his first NFL interception.