5 players the Bears need to play well to beat Rams
By Scott Rogust
If the Chicago Bears want to pull off a massive upset against the Los Angeles Rams, these five players need to perform exceptionally well.
The Chicago Bears have had quite the eventful offseason, highlighted by their trade up the first-round of the NFL Draft to secure Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. On paper, the Bears have the roster to potentially make a run towards a playoff berth like they did in 2020. But they have quite the tough first test in Week 1.
The Bears fly to Inglewood, Calif. to take on the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. The Rams made a significant change at the quarterback position, as they traded Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford. Besides that, it is relatively the same offense and defense, the latter of which is a serious strong suit for the Rams.
So just how can the Bears pull off the upset against the Rams? Well, they will need these five players to step up.
5. Elijah Wilkinson, LT
First things first, if Chicago’s offense is going to get going, they need to have stability at the left tackle position. In Week 1, the Bears will have Elijah Wilkinson manning the position.
Following training camp, Wilkinson was listed as the starting left tackle on the team’s depth chart. The role was projected to go to second-round draft pick Teven Jenkins, but he is currently sidelined due to back surgery. That, and former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jason Peters is listed as Wilkinson’s backup.
Last season with the Denver Broncos, Wilkinson allowed two sacks and was called for one penalty on 503 offensive snaps played, per Pro Football Focus.
If quarterback Andy Dalton is to succeed against the Rams, he will need Wilkinson to adequately protect his blindside.