LAKE FOREST, Ill. — For the second straight week, the Chicago Bears will face an AFC North opponent. This time, it will be the 3-5 Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

The Bears had their four-game winning streak snapped in the 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday, and Week 9 will provide Bears head coach Ben Johnson with an opportunity to help his team win their fifth game of the season.

[READ: Bears injury report: D’Andre Swift, Luther Burden ruled out vs. Bengals]

Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields led the New York Jets to a 39-38 victory over the Bengals last week, so regardless of the result of Sunday’s game between the Bears and Bengals, comparisons will be made about Caleb Williams’ performance.

Outside of the Bears’ starting quarterback, here are the top five players to watch on Sunday.

Nahshon Wright

The Bengals’ wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins creates plenty of problems for any opposing secondary. Throughout the Week 9 matchup, Nahshon Wright will have to cover one of the talented receivers when they line up to his side.

Between the two receivers, Chase and Higgins have accounted for 100 receptions, 1,080 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Regardless of whether they are covered, both will get opportunities throughout the game.

Before this season, Wright has primarily been a backup in his career, but the veteran corner has had to fill in for Jaylon Johnson, who is still on injured reserve. As expected, Wright’s season has featured plenty of ups and downs. According to Pro Football Focus, Wright has been targeted 32 times and has given up 22 receptions for 279 yards and four touchdowns. He also has two interceptions, including a pick-6 against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.

Wright and whoever else plays in the Bears’ secondary on Sunday will be challenged at Paycor Stadium.

Dayo Odeyingbo

Johnson has been fairly transparent in his press conferences this season. So, when the Bears’ head coach was asked about the Bears’ pass rush issues, he took some time to provide an answer.

“There’s…I mean, that’s a deep question,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to capitalize on the opportunities when guys get one-on-one on a tackle or on a guard. That’s really what it comes down to. …”

Johnson also mentioned that quarterback hits and pressures are equally important to him as sacks, which he understands is a statement that not many would agree with. Right now, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo isn’t getting sacks, quarterback hits or pressures. The three-year, $48 million man has just nine quarterback pressures and one sack through the first eight games.

“Dayo has been really good as an interior rusher, and I thought he played a really strong game last week in the run game,” Johnson said. “It was his best game yet of the season. But on the edge, we’re still working on that.”

With rookie Shemar Turner‘s season over with an ACL injury and Dominique Robinson out for a few weeks with a high ankle sprain, Odeyingbo must step up his game and provide some consistent pass rush for this Bears defense.

T.J. Edwards

The Bengals have rushed for 663 rushing yards this season, ranking them 31st in the NFL. Only the Tennessee Titans have fewer yards on the ground (643).

However, T.J. Edwards and the rest of the defense can’t overlook what Bengals running back Chase Brown has done recently. The former fifth-round pick in 2023 has rushed for his two best games of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets, accounting for 23 carries, 181 rushing yards and a touchdown. Brown has also produced some explosive runs, with a 37-yarder against the Steelers and a 22-yard rush vs. the Jets.

Edwards’ ability to read blocks and make tackles in space will factor in how effective the Bengals are in the ground game. Brown also caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the 39-38 loss to the Jets. It’s another area that the defense must consider as they put in the final preparations for this Sunday’s matchup.

Ja’Marr Chase

In the last two games with Flacco as quarterback, Chase has been targeted 42 times and has caught 28 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown. Just for reference, DJ Moore has caught 26 passes on 38 targets for 331 yards and a touchdown this season.

Even though Flacco and Chase have not spent much time together, the two have clearly established some decent chemistry these past two weeks.

[READ: Bengals’ Joe Flacco questionable to play Bears; Trey Hendrickson doubtful]

Dennis Allen has faced Chase one time in his career. The Bengals traveled to New Orleans to face the Saints in 2021 when Allen was the defensive coordinator. Chase led the Bengals with seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns, including a 60-yard score with 1:57 remaining in the game that helped the team secure a 30-26 victory.

Chase has plenty of tools that he can utilize to get open, and Allen couldn’t pinpoint what he believes is the most dangerous.

“All of it?” Allen said. “He’s got good speed. He’s got a really good catch radius. He basically catches anything that’s anywhere near him, and he does a great job of getting in and out of breaks. His transition skills are outstanding. He’s an exceptional player. When you watch the tape, especially over the last few weeks, they’re feeding some targets to him. There’s times I look on the tape, I’m like, ‘There’s two dudes draped all over him and they’re still throwing the ball to him,’ so they have a lot of confidence in what he can do. He’s an explosive player and somebody that’s going to be a challenge for us to have to deal with.”

DJ Turner II

Opposing offenses have taken advantage of the Bengals’ defense this season. The unit is last in total defense (407.9 yards per game), rushing defense (151.9 YPG) and has given up the most points in the NFL (253). The Bengals are also tied for the third fewest sacks in the league with 11.

A lot hasn’t been going right for the Bengals’ defense, but cornerback DJ Turner II has been a bright spot. The former second-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2023 is currently ranked No. 1 in the NFL in forced incompletions (11), according to Pro Football Focus. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound defensive back has two interceptions, nine passes defensed and has a 66.7 NFL passer rating against. Turner has given up two touchdowns this season, and one occurred in the Week 8 loss to the Jets.

[READ: DJ Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus discuss selfless mentality on Bears offense]

The most yards Turner has given up in a game this season was in the 48-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Turner allowed three receptions on five targets for 72 yards, but since that game, he has vastly improved. Rome Odunze and Moore will each have their chances to go up against Turner, and the Bears’ wide receivers will have to find ways to win those matchups when Williams throws the ball in their direction.