5 players the Bears need to play well to beat Rams

Aug 21, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) and head coach Matt Nagy (right) look on during the first half of their game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. The Buffalo Bills won 41-15. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports /

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 26: Darrell Henderson #27 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball under pressure from Jaylon Johnson #33 of the Chicago Bears during the third quarter at SoFi Stadium on October 26, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /

4. Jaylon Johnson, CB

The Rams running back depth chart may have taken a hit, but their wide receiver corps is as strong as ever. This offseason, the Rams added the likes of veteran DeSean Jackson and rookie Tutu Atwell to pair alongside Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson. That is a lot for the Bears cornerbacks to handle, which is a position of weakness on the defensive side of the ball.

This offseason, the Bears made the tough choice to release star cornerback Kyle Fuller to relieve cap space. Free agent signing Desmond Trufant, who was brought in after the Fuller release, was one of the team’s final roster cuts. Based off the current depth chart, Jaylon Johnson is the undisputed top cornerback on the team now.

As a rookie last year, Johnson tallied 44 total tackles and 15 defended passes through 13 games. When targeted by the opposing quarterback, Johnson allowed 44 receptions for 694 yards and five touchdowns on 78 targets, per Pro Football Reference.

Given the depth at the position, Johnson can not afford to have a bad game against the Rams. If he does, the Bears could be in trouble keeping the game close.

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