Chicago Bears: 6 Players Who Need to Step Up for Week 3

The loss that the Chicago Bears had against the New Orleans Saints exposed a lot of weaknesses both on offense and on defense.  We saw that Bears offensive line crumble before our eyes on Sunday as they allowed Cutler to get sacked six times.  We saw the defense give up some key yardage on rushes at times and saw the pass rush that they exhibited against the Atlanta Falcons all but disappear.

There are always players who need to step up and play well in every game, but if the Bears are going to beat the Packers this Sunday, they need these key performers to step up and play well.  Here are six players who need to step up and perform this Sunday against Green Bay if Chicago is going to have any chance of winning that game.

Jay Cutler, Quarterback

This one is an obvious choice as Cutler really has to perform well against the Packers in order to help his team win the game.  The only problem is Cutler has struggled in both games he’s played in this season because he hasn’t gotten the protection that he needs from his offensive line.  He has also struggled with making proper decisions at critical times.  In the game against the Saints, he did lose his right tackle Gabe Carimi, and after that things seemed to fall.  Blocking assignments were missed and he ended up on his back several times.

Cutler also lost wide receiver Earl Bennett in that game and thus lost his most reliable receiver.  If he can build a better rapport with the remaining group (and it looks as if Bennett will be back for the game against the Packers) then he should be OK.  With Roy Williams coming back, he just might be able to complete some passes down the field.

Henry Melton, Defensive Tackle

Melton had a less than stellar game on Sunday, recording no tackles or sacks.  The Bears have him in there for a reason and he did not live up to his starting status against the Saints.  Melton needs to get back to what he was able to do in the Bears' first game in order for the defensive line to find success against the Packers this Sunday.

Devin Hester, Wide Receiver

Hester is a true weapon if he’s used properly and if he’s able to make plays.  In order to make plays he has to run the right routes and he’s been guilty of cutting routes off in the past and not completing them properly.  In order for Hester to make things work, the Bears need to get him some short passes and slants which would work well, so that he can create on the run.  If the Bears use him like that he will do some amazing things for them.

Mike Martz needs to work Hester in that way in order for Hester and the Bears offense to have success.

Major Wright, Safety

If Wright is back from his head injury from last week, he is going to need to be one of those defenders who steps up and plays well in this game.  The Packers have some of the best wide receivers the Bears will face this season, so having their secondary ready and able to play will help keep them from getting burned.  Wright is still young and still needs to gain some experience, but if he can play well here, the Bears defense will have a much better chance of helping them win the game.

Frank Omiyale, Right Tackle

With Gabe Carimi out, it’s up to Omiyale to take over at the right tackle position.  Although his play in the Saints game was rocky at best, now that he knows he’s the starter, offensive line coach Mike Tice will have him ready to play.  But just how well will he be able to play?  Omiyale is not the ideal guy to have protecting Cutler, but he’s going to have to do while Carimi heals his knee.

Omiyale has to perform this week or the Bears offense is going to struggle moving the ball down the field and protecting its quarterback.

Roy Williams, Wide Receiver

It looks like Williams will be ready for the Bears game and he has a chance at really helping out Chicago’s passing offense.  Williams is a needed option for the Bears in the passing game. If he can have a game similar (and even better) to what he was able to give the Bears against the Falcons, he could grow to become one of Cutler’s best targets. With that, the Bears will be able to move the ball better and have a much better time completing passes down the field.