The Chicago Bears have easily the most brutal start to their schedule than any other NFL team. It's not even close. It starts with the Atlanta Falcons, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then the Pittsburgh Steelers and finally the Green Bay Packers. Three of those teams placed in a conference championship last season. The other, Tampa Bay, walloped the Bears 36-10 in their last meeting. Not ideal for sure. That's why the Bears need everybody on deck, especially a healthy Danny Trevathan.
There's no doubt the inside linebacker has become a leader on the team. His presence makes that clear enough. Unfortunately he's been having to work his way back from a nasty knee injury he suffered last year. In the interim the Bears run defense became their biggest weakness and helped to expose their limited secondary.
This why the team has been so careful in how he's practiced since. They need him 100% before he steps on the field. Is he even close yet?
A healthy Danny Trevathan? Closer than you think
If it were up to the man himself, it's not even a question. Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times offered the simple question of whether he's close to being ready. Confident as ever, Trevathan didn't mince words in his reply.“There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll be ready for Week 1,” Trevathan said. “It’s up to them upstairs. I’m feeling great about it. But it’s their call.”
The trick is that Trevathan can do so much for a defense. It's not just the tackling and leadership he brings to the table. He's smart, showing an ability to get teammates lined up. He has the instinct to know when to time his blitzes or where to drop in coverage. The guy is almost never out of position. Such players are hard to find, much less replace. With Matt Ryan and the #1 Falcons offense coming to town, him being on the field is crucial. This is most welcome news if what he says is true. That means the Bears defense is one step closer to looking like the unit Ryan Pace and John Fox have spent three years trying to build.
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