The return of some key starters on both sides of the ball led to a Chicago win last week. But the way the Bears were able to mitigate the impact that some key players had also contributed to the win.
Remember, in this weekly series, I’m featuring one player from the Chicago Bears opponent on each side of the ball who I think will be critical to their team’s success. Like seasons past, you won’t see any quarterbacks, as the nature of the position always makes them critical for a team’s success. I’ll also try and mix in a few under the radar players from time to time.
For the second consecutive week, we must start with a familiar face on the defense Chicago will be playing against – this time New England.
Defense: Kevin Byard, #31 – S
While some younger players are stuffing the stat sheet more this season like 2nd year player Elijah Ponder (5.5 sacks tied for 3rd league-wide) and rookie Gabe Jacas (1.5 sacks, 3.5 TFL and 1 INT,) the 11th year pro and 2025 Chicago Bear Pro-Bowler returns to Chicago for his first game against his former team and is who I will be focused on all night. Byard is just 4th on the team in tackles and has yet to cause a turnover at this point – a surprising fact considering he had 7 INTs a year ago and 36 as a pro – but make no mistake; his value is undeniable to this young Patriots squad. As team captain, Byard is the dependable vet that he has been throughout his career and this week is no exception. Perhaps no player across the league understands this Ben Johnsons offense more than the savvy vet and I am expecting some chess matches between he and Ben Johnson tonight. Byard has already gone on record saying that he expects some trickery for the Bears offense, and how he and the talented, young Patriots defense handle those new wrinkles will be paramount on Amazon Prime in front of the whole country. Ben has tons of respect for Byard and will undoubtedly know where he is at all times tonight. If Caleb and Co. can avoid turning the ball over in a momentum swinging play to Byard, Chicago should maintain possession and put enough points on the board to win. But if Byard can do what he did best as a Bear, Chicago could be in trouble.
Offense: TreVeyon Henderson, #32 – RB
After a stellar opening act and finishing 3rd in voting for Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year, the former Ohio State Buckeye has gotten off to a much slower start in his sophomore campaign. His success rate on both runs and catches have both gone down, as have his yards per carry. Additionally, he already has matches his total fumbles from a year ago. It could be the nagging ankle injury or injuries up front to his offensive line, but either way, I remain quite high on my 2nd rated RB out of the 2025 class. Hendo is the explosive type of back who can take any run or pass to the house on any given play having had two scoring runs of 60+ yards as a rookie and taking a kickoff to the house in pre-season action as well. Though he is technically behind Rhamondre Stevenson in New England’s backfield, Hendo is the back I am more concerned about. If Devin Bush and the Bears D can contain Henderson and not allow any explosive plays to happen – Chicago should keep New England within reach on the scoreboard. But if he decides this Thursday night Primetime game is the game to breakout this season – watch out.