Bears' Gabriel played vital role in win over Vikings
Each season at about this time of the year, the elite teams start to separate themselves from one another. Records can sometimes help us determine who they are, but the best teams show each week that they have multiple paths to victory.
They aren't reliant on having just one dominant strength that no team can match. Instead, they find ways to win games by different methods each week. Whether that is by prevailing in a defensive struggle or being able to win on special teams, having the ability to win different "types" of games is critical in the NFL. Against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the Bears proved that once again they are one of the most balanced teams in the NFL, partially because of their depth on offense.
In a pivotal NFC North matchup, the Bears' passing game was not effective, and neither was their rushing game. Mitchell Trubisky threw for only 165 yards, his fewest since Week 3, and added 2 interceptions. Chicago averaged only 3.8 yards per carry, and Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen combined to carry the ball 25 times for just 90 yards.
Their stars in the passing game in Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Trey Burton combined to catch 6 passes on 11 targets. For the most part, the Vikings were able to take them out of the game. However, as a team, Chicago made enough plays to secure the win against one of the toughest defenses in the NFL and improve to 7-3. How did the Bears do it? Receiver Taylor Gabriel stepped up in a big way.
Gabriel touched the ball 9 times and totaled 69 yards Sunday night, when he was the team's leading receiver. Though the overall yardage isn't uber impressive, it's when and how those plays came. Time and time again, Gabriel made the play that kept the chains moving. In a game in which the Bears had little success running the ball and throwing to their top weapons, it was Gabriel keeping drives alive.
On the opening drive of the game, the Bears made it a point to move Gabriel all around the field to keep the Vikings' defense on its heels. On one of the first plays of the game, the Bears ran an end-around to Gabriel for 20 yards that quickly changed field position. His hyper-quickness and speed made getting to the edge a breeze for the Bears.
A simple run like this early in a game can have such an impact on the entire outcome. The Bears ran the "ghost-sweep" multiple times throughout the game, and each time, it captured the attention of the linebackers and safeties, opening up lanes in the middle of the field. Later on in that drive, Trubisky found Gabriel across the field on a dig route in traffic on third down. This reception wasn't all that dynamic or impressive, but it did set the Bears up for an easy field goal attempt.
Gabriel isn't just a gadget player. He has developed into so much more. He is now at the stage of his career where he can face some of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and find success. My favorite example of this came on a third-and-5 when he was matched up with one of the most physically imposing cornerbacks in the league, Xavier Rhodes. That didn't seem to impact Gabriel, who quickly got in and out of his break and made the catch way outside the framework of his body.
Gabriel isn't a big player, but his catch radius is far bigger than one would expect. That's why I wasn't surprised that he made this diving catch on third down. As cliché as it may sound, Gabriel does play much bigger than his size. The play above is just one of the many examples you can find from the 2018 season.
Finally, Gabriel's biggest play of the game came on another third down, this time late in the fourth quarter. He was matched up against CB Trae Waynes, and that is just a mismatch for the Bears' third receiver. Gabriel planted his left leg hard into the ground as if he would cut outside. But by the time Waynes turned to cover the out route, Gabriel had already broken up in the middle of the field for the easy reception. Waynes is one of the most athletic cornerbacks in the NFL, and Gabriel made him look foolish. It was just an excellent route by the veteran receiver to keep another drive alive.
Gabriel is a player who has always been cast into a specialist role, but he has developed significantly as a receiver. Early in his career, he was used as just a deep threat in Cleveland. In Atlanta, he was primarily used to catch passes behind the line of scrimmage. His usage was very similar to the way the Bears utilize Tarik Cohen. But in Chicago, the Bears seem open to using Gabriel more as an outside receiver who can run the ball if needed. His development as a reliable No. 3 receiver has been a welcomed addition for Chicago.
It's encouraging to see how flexible and deep this offense is, and should continue to be, under Matt Nagy. Now that the Bears have multiple paths to victory by having so many weapons on both offense and defense, they are one of the few legit Super Bowl contenders. And the scariest thing is that they seem to be improving every week. Chicago is starting to get hot at the right time.