Inside the Huddle: Healthy Adrian Amos knows big plays are needed

Adam L. Jahns’ Inside the Huddle column appears in game-day editions of the Sun-Times.

It was a gimme, and Bears safety Adrian Amos missed it.

With pressure coming, Eli Manning threw a pass well short of his intended receiver, tight end Will Tye, and right into Amos’ waiting hands last Sunday.

And he dropped it.

“I can’t dwell on it,” Amos said. “That has to be an emphasis for me. It’s just getting to the ball, just creating more opportunities where I can have my hands on the ball.

“Obviously, that was an opportunity. They had a field goal after that, so it could have at least taken three [points] off the board.”

For the Bears, developing a young core of players is imperative. Amos deserves to be mentioned with defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.

Coaches rave about Amos’ intelligence and ability to diagnose plays. He’s versatile and athletic enough to handle certain receivers and tight ends in the slot in the Bears’ dime package, and he’s a reliable, physical tackler.

Twenty-six starts into his NFL career, Amos is still looking for his first interception. It’s not easy going from the 142nd pick in the 2015 draft to an every-game starter, but some big plays are overdue. He needs to make them, and he knows it. Getting them is the next step in his development.

“I have to get on the ball more in all aspects,” Amos said.

Getting takeaways has been a problem for the Bears. Their eight takeaways are the second-fewest in the league.

Amos forced a fumble in Week  5 against the Colts near the Bears’ goal line, but the ball went out of bounds, and the Colts maintained possession.

“If you look at our weak point, it’s getting the ball,” Amos said.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and secondary coach Ed Donatell have hoped since the offseason program that Amos would be one of those players who would get it.

Their hope was a result of Amos’ improved health. In the offseason, Amos had surgery to repair a tear in his right shoulder. He played through the injury last season, opting to wear a brace that restricted his movements.

Amos played well, especially considering he was a rookie, but he couldn’t raise his right arm above his head. He’s wearing a brace again, but it’s not as bulky. He said he has more range.

Amos isn’t making any excuses for his lack of big plays, though a brace would be a good one.

“Anytime you come off an injury, there’s going to be a time where you’re getting back and building strength back up,” Amos said. “But that’s not a hindrance because it’s 10 times better than it was last year as far as my shoulder.

“You just continue to work on it and get better. It’s not like it’s holding me back too much. It’s just pains like anybody else who has a few nicks.”

By no means have the Bears lost faith in Amos. His coaches appreciate the stability he has provided in the secondary.

Several players have been used at cornerback this season, while Chris Prosinski, Harold Jones-Quartey and Deon Bush have seen time at safety next to Amos.

“[Amos has] been pretty good,” coach John Fox said. “He’s a good communicator. He processes pretty well. He’s pretty good with all his checks and adjustments. So that’s probably why he’s been the one constant. He has a good feel for that.”

But Amos knows something is missing.

“It’s just me adjusting and making more plays,” Amos said.

EXTRA POINTS

Containing Mariota

There are a number of statistics that point to Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota’s improvement: passer rating, completion percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratio, to name a few.

But Titans coach Mike Mularkey said it’s Mariota’s success in the red zone that makes him special.

Mariota has completed 29 of 45 passes for 214 yards and 16 touchdowns in the red zone. His 115.2 red-zone passer rating trails only Tom Brady, Andrew Luck and Drew Brees. Mariota has not thrown an interception or been sacked in the red zone.

As a team, the Titans lead the NFL in red-zone scoring: 27 touchdowns in 36 trips (75.0 percent)

Mariota excelled in the red zone as a rookie, too, going 26-for-40 for 195 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions.

How does he do it?

“He’s such a quick thinker and makes a lot of quick decisions,” Mularkey said. “And because of the release that he has, he’s been very effective.”

Containing Mariani

Cutting receiver/returner Marc Mariani was one the Bears’ toughest decisions before the season, as they opted for the faster and more explosive Deonte Thompson.

Similar to the Bears, the Titans value Mariani for his decision-making and savvy when it comes to handling kickoffs and punts.

“Taking chances is the wrong word,” special-teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said. “He does some veteran things where he may late-catch a ball and make an evasive move. His production, a lot of time, is just being a real smart player. He’s drawn several penalties late fair-catching [and] kind of bumping into a guy.

“It’s hard to fool him in terms of the kickoff return stuff. He runs into the ball so he’s got a little forward momentum. He was good at that stuff when he was here. It’s been something he has done since he’s been around the league.”

Bush gets more time

Having gone from a mid-round pick to a full-time starter as a rookie at safety, Adrian Amos has some for advice for Deon Bush, who made his first career start last week against the Giants.

“It’s over-communicating everything,” Amos said.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Bush, one of the Bears’ three fourth-round selections, has much to experience.

“[It’s] just knowing the exact details of his assignments and execution, playing situational football, knowing the down and distance and playing accordingly, based on formation, based upon the call we’re in,” Fangio said. “[It’s] all the little things that make a big difference.”

NUMBERS GAME

7.81 – Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota’s average yards gained per completed pass, the seventh-best mark in the NFL.

91 – Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman’s tackles this season. It’s the seventh-most in the NFL. Freeman is suspended.

140 – The points scored by the Bears’ opponents in the second half of games this season. The Bears have scored 61.