Colts vs Bears: 5 Players to Watch on Saturday
By Evan Reller
Oct 9, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver David Kessler (83) is hit by UCF Knights defensive back Clayton Geathers (26) at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
While the coaches have been high on the rookie, Geathers didn’t have the stellar debut of some of his fellow rookies. He played in over half of the team’s snaps and received a -2.4 overall grade from PFF. Most of that stemmed from his -2.1 in pass coverage (which, in fairness, no one on the Colts did well as the collective effort was a -11.0).
Geathers also missed two tackles and while he only personally gave up one reception, he was out of position at times when it came to providing support. The Eagles offense was likely a big problem as it is designed to stress a defense with high pace and quick strikes. It is difficult to game plan for, let alone defend.
It isn’t imperative that Geathers develops quickly, especially with Dwight Lowery on the roster. It will be interesting to see how he performs against a more traditional offense like the Bears. We don’t want to overreact to the preseason, but it will be mildly concerning if Geathers doesn’t show some signs of improvement after Week 2.