Getty Davante Adams is a challenge that Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson welcomes ahead of their Week 7 matchup.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson is always happy to have the Chicago Bears put him on an island against the opposing team’s top receiver, and that’s just as true as ever with Las Vegas Raiders superstar Davante Adams coming back to town.
Johnson made no secret of his desire to test his skills against one of the NFL’s most elite wide receivers when Adams and the Raiders face the Bears at home in Week 7. He feels that even Adams knows at this point that he wants “any and every big matchup.”
“[The coaches] know, you guys know, Davante knows that those are matchups I want at the end of the day, and nothing has changed,” Johnson said during his October 16 press conference. “I got put into that my second year in the league, so it’s definitely not changing my fourth year into the league. I want any and every big matchup I can get.”
Johnson knows the presitge that comes with guarding an All-Pro like Adams. He chased Adams around the field for the first two seasons of his career when the latter was still a starring member of the Green Bay Packers. During those four games against the Bears, Adams finished with 26 receptions for 317 yards and four touchdowns on 33 targets.
“I know there’s mutual respect there,” Johnson added. “I always loved his game, especially coming out of college. He was somebody that of course I asked for and ended up getting while he was in Green Bay. I definitely love his game, love the way he goes about his business and definitely have a lot of respect for him.”
Jaylon Johnson vs. Davante Adams Will Be Center Stage
The Bears might not put Johnson on an island against Adams for their entire matchup against the Raiders in Week 7, but Johnson’s comments will certainly put a spotlight on the two of them whenever they do line up against each other in the upcoming week.
Johnson has not been able to deliver on the takeaway element of his game that he said he wanted to improve heading into the season, but he has still been one of the most effective coverage cornerbacks in the NFL. Despite missing two games with a hamstring injury, Johnson has received eighth-highest coverage grade (80.9) from Pro Football Focus through six games among corners who have played 100-plus coverage snaps.
Johnson was also particularly good against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, allowing just one reception on four targets and tackling that one receiver for a loss on the play. Unfortuanately, he bowed out of the game with a hamstring injury before he could finish, but it still presented a good sampling of what Johnson could do as a top corner.
Can Johnson maintain the same level of play against an elite receiver like Adams, though? He will get another chance to prove he can at 1 p.m. ET on October 22.
Davante Adams Continues to Be Dangerous for Raiders
Adams, on the other hand, has been his usual productive self for the Raiders in 2023 despite their imbalance on offense. He has the ninth-most receptions (39) and 12th-most receiving yards (471) in the league through the first six games. He also dropped a 13-catch, 172-yard performance on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, finding the end zone twice in what ultimately ended up being a loss for Las Vegas.
The bigger question about Adams right now is whether he will remain steady if Raiders starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo cannot suit up against the Bears. In fairness, Adams remained effective in Week 4 when Aidan O’Connell was forced to make a spot start, catching eight of his 13 targets for 75 yards. He averaged a season-low 9.4 yards per reception, though, and may receive less targets in the deep field without Garoppolo.
Adams also expressed frustration with his seemingly decreased role for the Raiders in recent weeks. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury since Week 4, but his target share has noticably gone down. Adams received 38 targets between Weeks 3 and 4 with 20 — the second-most in his career — coming in Week 3. In the past two weeks, though, he has received just nine combined with a season-low four in last week’s loss.