NEWSLETTER
Finding silver linings after Sunday’s loss to the Saints wasn’t easy, but I found one.
And as you might expect, it’s on the defensive side of the ball:
The #Bears highest-graded player against the New Orleans Saints was Danny Trevathan with a season-high 87.6 overall grade
9 tackles
5 stops
3 targets
2 catches
9 yards allowed
1 QB hurry pic.twitter.com/BCEWBJbJaa— PFF CHI Bears (@PFF_Bears) November 2, 2020
Danny Trevathan was *EVERYWHERE* on Sunday. Nine tackles, five stops, one quarterback hurry, one tackle-for-loss, just two receptions allowed in coverage that gained a grand total of nine yards. This was the Trevathan we had grown accustomed to seeing over the years. A player who could impact the middle of the defense on throwing, running, and pass-rushing downs. It was a sight for sore eyes, to say the least.
I had my concerns about Trevathan in the early going. There were times he looked a step slow defending the pass. Moments when he wasn’t as sharp in the run-stopping game gave me pause, too. But the 30-year-old linebacker has stepped it up in recent weeks, with his best performance coming against a Saints team that appeared to present matchup nightmares on paper. That should be a bigger deal than we otherwise might think. At minimum, maybe we’re seeing what it’s like when guys fully get into game shape after an offseason where nothing went as scheduled.
On an alternate timeline, Trevathan’s big game would have been lauded as a crucial performance in a hard-fought win against a playoff contender. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that timeline. Nevertheless, it doesn’t make Trevathan’s accomplishments any less impressive. Because if this is the beginning of Trevathan’s renaissance, this Bears defense will get better from here.
