Bears LB Trevathan is 'ascending big-time' after early struggles
Titans receiver Corey Davis ran a delayed route, faking like a blocker before taking off down the seam.
Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan picked up on it quickly, but Davis was a half step quicker. Even so, the veteran linebacker stuck out a hand at just the right moment to knock away a pass from Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
"We call that the 'oh expletive' pass," Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. "Begins with S, ends with T. Right when you see it start to develop, you're like, 'Oh…' And there you see [Trevathan] go chase that guy down and get the ball off of Davis. I mean phenomenal play."
It was the type of play the 30-year-old Trevathan wasn't making earlier in the season. In Week 1, the Detroit Lions attacked Trevathan again and again in the pass game.
A week later, Trevathan's usage dropped from 90% of defensive plays against Detroit to only 48% of defensive snaps in Week 2 against the New York Giants. While the Bears weren't giving much of a reason, it was evident that something wasn't right.
In a year without a true NFL offseason and with no traditional preseason games, it might've been a matter of Trevathan not being in ideal shape. Or it could've been something off the field affecting him.
Lions running back D'Andre Swift beat Trevathan on what could've been a game-winning touchdown pass in Week 1, but Swift dropped the ball in the end zone.
"There's no gray area, no kind of slack in that," Trevathan said days later. "I'm a pro at this. I know I can play better and I will."
The last few weeks, Trevathan has done just that. The pass deflection against Davis is the most recent example. Trevathan has improved his game in pass coverage.
"Covering the guy is one thing, but when you're running 45 yards down field with a really fast receiver like he is, like [Davis] is, I thought Danny's finish on that play was special," Bears inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone said. "And it was a big play. I mean it was a huge play in the game."
Part of Trevathan's rebound has been load maintenance. Along with other Bears veterans with a lot of miles on their bodies, Trevathan frequently takes an extra day off practice each week.
The result is Trevathan has improved with every passing week. He looks more like the Trevathan who was a leader of this Bears defense prior to his elbow injury midway through the 2019 season.
Third-year linebacker Roquan Smith said Trevathan is playing at a "high level." That duo has been really good for the Bears. Smith is playing lights out both against the run and in coverage. He is emerging as one of the best young linebackers in the NFL.
Pair that with an improved Trevathan and the Bears have a lot going for them at inside linebacker right now. Since his playing time dipped in Week 2, Trevathan has played anywhere from 74% to 85% of the Bears' defensive snaps in each game.
"He's ascending big-time right now," Pagano said of Trevathan. "Mark (DeLeone) does a great job with him, coaching those guys, he takes care of them. He's taking care of his body. His weight is good, his mind's good. Stars are lining up just perfectly for him."