Roll The Tape: Meet The Bears’ Super Bowl X Factor; The NFL’s Most Underrated WR

The Detroit Lions offered a blueprint on how to beat the best defense in football. The Chicago Bears added one of the best defenders in football. The Cincinnati Bengals boast the best No. 2 receiver in football. Each week, I dive into the All-22 coaches’ film before offering a few insights to watch. Here are three developments that could be long-term storylines involving some of the best teams and players in the NFL. The Lions outsmarted Brian Flores’ impenetrable defense with a throwback formation and running game that left the Vikings defensive wizard desperately searching for answers in a pivotal division matchup this past Sunday. Using a variation of the Power-I formation that was popularized in the 1960s, the Lions ran for 230 yards, with 164 of those yards coming in the second half. The run-heavy formation put a pair of tight ends in front of star running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield, changing the math for a Vikings defense that typically overwhelms opponents with overload pressures in the form of six-plus defenders aggressively attacking gaps at the line of scrimmage. By aligning in an offset formation with the tight ends offset to the right or left of Gibbs, the Lions added two additional gaps to the Vikings’ run fits while creating a moving target for the defenders assigned to those gaps due to the pre-snap motions and shifts of tight ends Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin. Additionally, the unique positioning of Gibbs and Co. behind the offensive guard and tackle created an unbalanced formation with tight ends putting five or six men on one side of the center. While most unbalanced lines are set at the line of scrimmage, forcing the defense to bump over to even up the numbers, the Lions’ backfield formation and pre-snap movement (shifts or motions) kept the Vikings from aligning properly. With the Lions running a “Duo” blocking scheme (man blocking with select double teams at the line of scrimmage) and tight ends inserting into the line at various spots, the Vikings were outnumbered at the point of attack, creating huge running lanes for Gibbs and backup RB Sione Vaki on downhill plays. Although we have watched Rams HC Sean McVay and 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan utilize H-backs, tight ends and wideouts as lead blockers from exotic formations, the Lions’ clever deployment of their tight ends disrupted the Vikings’ blitz scheme by adding extra gaps to defend at the point of attack and varying where those gaps occurred on each play. For a team that had sparingly utilized “13” personnel prior to Week 7, the heavy usage (12 times for 81 rush yards; 83.3% success rate) proved to be the perfect solution to the Vikings’ ultra-aggressive tactics. With the Lions seemingly cracking the code on the Vikings’ aggressive scheme, the rest of the league is scouring the tape to see if they can add a few throwback formations to the call sheet to keep Flores guessing and out of sorts. When the Bears acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Titans last week for a pair of first-round picks and a fourth-rounder, the three-time All-Pro figured to bolster his new team with his disruptive potential on the interior. At 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, Simmons is an unstoppable force at the point of attack, playing through double teams and combo blocks with poise and persistence. The loquacious defender is also arguably the league’s best trash-talker, with jabbering jaws and a non-stop motor that isn’t affected by the scoreboard. Simmons plays each down like the Super Bowl is on the line, and his consistent disruption stems partly from his superior talent and work ethic. He refuses to let double teams slow him down, and his relentlessness shows in his desire to finish at the ball on every play. While most observers focus on his disruptive plays (sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits/hurries), it is Simmons’ consistency down in and down out that really transforms a defense. Studying the All-22 coaches’ footage from his Bears debut against the Seahawks in Week 8, Simmons’ energy and effort immediately jumped off the screen. The veteran ran around like a kid in a candy store, sprinting from sideline to sideline to hunt runners down. He also showed the strength and power to hold his position at the point of attack against double teams. When facing one-on-one attention at the line, he repeatedly tossed around his assigned blocker with various power maneuvers, including the bull rush and “club” to quickly disengage and pursue the ball. With Simmons also flashing a unique blend of speed and quickness to complement his superior strength, the Seahawks’ blockers couldn’t neutralize him without multiple bodies coming around to shrink his run to the running back or quarterback. The four-time Pro-Bowler refused to stay blocked, and his fanatical effort energized a unit that was looking for a spark at the line of scrimmage. Looking through the tape and reviewing my notes on Chicago DC Dennis Allen’s scheme, it is easy to envision how Simmons’ role will continue to grow with the Bears. The veteran will continue to hold the point with traditional rushes that allow him to plug holes against the run, while taking a straightforward approach to the quarterback. Additionally, Allen will put him on the move in games that let Simmons use his athleticism to blow through cracks created by the choreographed movement at the line of scrimmage. With the Bears likely to add more rushers in five- and six-man pressures, Simmons should walk into sacks against overwhelmed blockers unable to handle his physicality and Allen’s creativity. Chicago’s marquee addition cost a pretty penny, but his talent and tools will transform the defense into a top-notch unit that creates the kind of chaos and havoc opposing quarterbacks and playcallers fear. With the move pushing the Super Bowl-starved franchise into title contention, Simmons’ disruption and dominance could add some more hardware to the trophy case in Halas Hall at season’s end. We are only two seasons removed from Ja’Marr Chase claiming the NFL’s WR1 title after becoming the sixth player in the Super Bowl era to win the “Triple Crown” as the single-season leader in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17). While the three-time All-Pro is still worthy of wearing the crown after another phenomenal season in 2025 that showcased his dominance as a playmaker, the Bengals can now lay claim to boasting the league’s best WR2. Tee Higgins, if you haven’t noticed, has fully emerged as an unstoppable force on the perimeter for the 5-2 Bengals. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has opened the 2026 season on a heater with 43 catches, 726 receiving yards (second in the NFL) and four touchdowns through seven games. Higgins is averaging 103.7 receiving yards per game and 16.9 yards per catch, reflecting his big-play potential as a vertical threat. Moreover, the 2025 Pro Bowler has dominated his one-on-one matchups, using his size, length and athleticism to overwhelm defenders on jump balls down the boundary or in the red zone. It’s worth noting Higgins was a high school basketball standout who had several D1 offers (Louisville, Tennessee, Auburn, Middle Tennessee State, and others) before deciding to play football at Clemson. The seventh-year pro’s hardwood skills repeatedly show up on the grass when he “boxes out” defenders to win contested catches. According to Next Gen Stats, Higgins has been one of the league’s most productive targets on tight-window throws (where the ball arrives with less than a yard of separation), which speaks to Joe Burrow’s trust in the extra-long, rangy receiver. Studying the All-22 coaches’ tape, you see why the star quarterback is not afraid to target the veteran with defenders around. Higgins’ length and strength make it hard for defenders to wrestle the ball out of his hands when he hauls in a fade ball down the boundary. Additionally, Higgins excels at “high-pointing” alley-oops, like a back-door lob against a 2-3 zone defense. With Higgins flashing impressive route-running skills as a long strider with surprising agility and stop-and-start quickness, the Bengals have been able to feature their WR2 on more than just classic vertical routes (go routes and skinny posts) downfield. He can run the entire route tree out wide, with comebacks, digs and back-shoulder fades ranking as his best routes in the Bengals’ scheme. Given Higgins’ production opposite Chase, it is fair to wonder how he would fare on his own as a No. 1 option in the passing game. He has shown “take-over-the-game” potential when occupying the WR1 role, with 36 receptions, 542 receiving yards and three touchdowns in six games without Chase. Those numbers are solid and not significantly greater than Higgins’ weekly stat line, which suggests his output is sustainable as a WR1 or WR2 for the Bengals. At a time when coaches and scouts want consistency and dependability from a second wide receiver, it is hard to knock Higgins off the pedestal as the best No. 2 in football.