Spider-Man: The Amazing Abilities of Kyler Gordon
Chicago has one of the best Nickels in the NFL and his ability to play near the box was on full display in London versus the Jaguars.
Chicago’s 2024 defense fell off a literal cliff. After the Hail Mary debacle, the unit never recovered. Head Coach Matt Eberflus would be fired on November 29th after a six-game skid that started with that fateful Commanders loss. It’s as though the Bears left their positive momentum in London.
Heading into Week 8, the Bears were sitting 4-2, with their losses coming on the road to the Texans and the Colts in back-to-back weeks. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had struggled in those two losses, throwing four interceptions.
Still, Williams was coming off a stellar game against the Jaguars that saw him go 23/26 for 226 yards, four touchdowns, and only one interception. In their three-game winning streak, he had accumulated seven touchdowns to one interception. All signs were pointing up.
At that point in the season, the Bears were third in the NFL in EPA (.168) and had the best dropback passing EPA in the league (.267). Everything was heading in the right direction, and it looked like the defense that finished 2023 as one of the best was staying the course. Then the Hail Mary happened.
A 29-9 loss to the Cardinals followed, then another to New England. The final straw for the Bears' management was the three consecutive close losses to divisional rivals Green Bay, Minnesota, and Detroit. The locker room was toxic, the defense had cratered, and Eberflus was out.
The lone bright spot on the defense was the secondary. Chicago arguably had the best safety duo in the NFL, with Kevin Byard III (S6) and Jaquan Brisker (S12). Both were top-15 players in Field Vision’s Havoc Ratings. Combined with Jonathan Owens (S32), the unit finished fourth in overall unit Havoc.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson (CB10) has played at an All-Pro level. His play last year earned him the top spot in CB Havoc Ratings. His partner, Tyrique Stephenson (CB49), played well the past two seasons opposite the Bears’ lockdown CB. But Nickel Kyler Gordon (CB22) unlocks the secondary’s ability by being a key link with the front and back end.
Gordon has been a consistent force for the Bears at Nickel and is regarded as one of the better ones at his position. His ability to play the run and cover is a bonus for the Bears, who, under Eberflus, want to run Nickel as much as they can. Chicago was fifth in Nickel usage last year. In the past two seasons, Gordon has finished in the top-25 in Havoc Ratings for CBs.
Above are Field Vision’s top nine Nickel CBs in the NFL. The criteria for being on this list is that you played 500+ snaps with 40%+ in the slot. The chart is sorted by Slot Havoc. Gordon is thrid behind the Giants Dru Phillips and the Ravens Marlon Humphrey.
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