Why the Chicago Bears Should Make Jamree Kromah Active vs. Eagles
Through two weeks, the Chicago Bears have struggled to pressure the quarterback. According to Pro Football Network (PFN), Chicago’s defensive line has a 71.8 pass-rush grade, which ranks 20th in the NFL.
It seems Bears fans were right to be wary of the pass rush heading into the season. Entering Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, it may be time for the Bears to make Jamree Kromah active for game day.
Jamree Kromah Was One of the Bears' Best Preseason Players
Kromah ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the preseason. The 26-year-old put together several strong performances that helped him earn a roster spot.
In Chicago's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, Kromah recorded six tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He also recovered his own strip-sack.
While he didn't shine in the second preseason game, Kromah bounced back in his final outing. Against the Tennessee Titans, he recorded three tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack.
While these performances came against backups, Kromah showed nice speed off the edge, which is something the team could use right now.
According to PFN, Dayo Odeyingbo has recorded one quarterback hit and one sack, while Montez Sweat and Austin Booker have each recorded one sack.
Despite sacks not being the most important stat, the Bears still struggle with pressure. According to Pro Football Reference, Odeyingbo and Sweat have recorded five pressures each, while Booker has recorded three pressures through two games.
Booker is supposed to provide that speed off the edge, but it hasn't really been prevalent through the first two games. By no means does that mean fans should give up on him. It's just to point out that the Bears need more help.
Kromah Could Give the Bears Another Pass-Rush Option
That's why activating Kromah for the Eagles game would be smart. He may only get a couple of snaps off the bench, but injecting him into the lineup could help.
Chicago needs to see if Kromah can bring some of the explosiveness he showed during the preseason into a regular-season game.
Even a handful of pass-rush opportunities could be useful. If Kromah can consistently get around the edge or force the quarterback to move off his spot, those snaps could become valuable.
The Eagles Are Still Figuring Things Out
This is only the Eagles' third week in a brand-new offense, and they haven't been especially impressive in either of their first two outings.
Through two games, Philadelphia has scored 48 points and gained 692 yards of total offense, including 467 passing yards and 225 rushing yards.
However, the Eagles needed a fourth-quarter drive to beat the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.
Historically, it has taken Jalen Hurts about a month to really click in a new offensive coordinator's offense when things start to come together. If the Bears can't find a way to get pressure on Hurts, this could be the week he starts figuring things out.
Adding Kromah to the rotation could give the Bears another chance to change that.
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