Bear Necessities: Chicago’s young secondary will be tested vs. Vikings

With Jaylon Johnson doubtful with a quad injury, the Bears’ young secondary faces a tall order against Justin Jefferson and Vikings WRs.

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For all the concerns about the Bears offense heading into this Week 5 matchup against the Vikings, there’s plenty to worry about as Chicago’s defense prepares to face some talented Minnesota players.

The Bears run defense has been porous through the first four games, allowing an average 183.3 rushing yards per game (last in NFL). So it’s definitely concerning with Dalvin Cook on deck.

But then there’s Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson, who is fifth in the NFL with 393 yards through four games. For defensive coordinator Alan Williams, it’s a pick-your-poison kind of matchup.

“We have to worry about two, and not to diminish the other guys on the team, but those are two dynamic players,” said Williams, via ChicagoBears.com. “I think the running back is dynamic and Jefferson is dynamic. So you have both. And so that’s really what creates the problem. They can beat you in two ways. They can beat you on the ground, they can beat you up in the air. So you have to pick and choose how you call it, what you do and where you put guys and what you focus on. This week the focus is on both, not just one.”

Considering the Vikings are a pass-happy team, Jefferson has a chance to go off in this game. Especially considering the Bears will be without top cornerback Jaylon Johnson for the third straight game, as he nurses a quad injury.

That means it’ll be a relatively young cornerback group — including Kindle Vildor, Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Jones — tasked with containing Jefferson and the rest of Minnsota’s receiving corp.

So what advice does Williams have for his young secondary?

“No. 1 thing would be, in a nutshell, make sure your technique can stand the test of time,” Williams said. “That’s to say that hey, whatever your technique is, whether it’s a dynamic [guy], whether it’s a fast guy, not so fast guy, tall guy, small guy, whatever that is, you want to make sure your technique, whatever it is, can stand the test of time so that you’re not so focused on what they do.

“We do look at that, we do look at where their catches come from, where they’re lined up, how they run their routes, when they get their targets. So for a young guy, the No. 1 thing is, your technique will get you to where you’re supposed to be. Your eyes will take you where you’re supposed to be. You don’t need to do anything different than what you’re doing.”