Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears: Changes at Safety Position Risky
Published by Bob Warja on October 14, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
On Sunday night, the Bears will have rookie Chris Conte and sophomore Major Wright start at safety, taking the place of veterans Chris Harris and Brandon Meriweather.
On the surface, this seems like a good move by Lovie Smith and his coaches; after all, both Harris and Meriweather had bad games on Monday night against versus the Detroit Lions.
But dig deeper and you realize two things: One, both players are very inexperienced; and two, Harris may have had an excuse for his performance on Monday night.
To the first point, rookies often struggle because opposing teams pick on them like a vulture attacking a fresh kill on the side of a deserted desert road.
As a third-round pick out of Cal, Chris Conte wasn’t even a high draft choice, so he doesn’t have the pedigree of a guy who should be able to step in during his rookie season and contribute as a starter.
This doesn’t mean he won’t perform well. But the odds are against him.
Meanwhile, Chris Harris was the guy we were told the team was lacking. While he was out, all we heard was that once he got back, the safety position would be better.
Now, he did play poorly, but perhaps he was still favoring his injury, as he was possibly rushed back due to need.
Plus, it was the first time he had played in awhile, so the rust factor cannot be ignored.
Still, he was benched, and while starters don’t necessarily mean no playing time, it sends a message for the wrong reason, in my opinion, when it comes to Harris.
As for Brandon Meriweather, I believe the decision was justified even if the replacement isn’t ideal.
He was recently cut by what is arguably the best organization in football (the New England Patriots), by a coach who simply knows talent—so perhaps the former Pro Bowler is not what he is perceived to be.
And even if he is, it was unrealistic to expect him to pick up the Cover 2 so quickly.
The problem I have with Meriweather is that he is a hard hitter, but seems to be a dirty player who likes to freelance and doesn’t necessarily stick to assignments.
If the Bears had great options, then I wouldn’t be bothered by these decisions. But Wright is very questionable in coverage, so I am cautious about his promotion.
Look, the Bears need help at safety; there have been too many big plays where the corner dropped off and the safety help simply hasn’t been there.
But benching Harris is probably not the answer.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
