The Chicago Bears and New York Giants, enjoying beneath new head coaches Matt Eberflus and Brian Daboll, are two of eight NFL groups that missed the playoffs in 2021 however have began this season 2-1 or higher.
The Bears and Giants will meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium with an opportunity to construct on these begins. As kickoff approaches, right here’s our snapshot take a look at the sport.
1. Players within the highlight
Saquon Barkley and Khalil Herbert
Barkley is wanting extra like his previous self than the one who was restricted to 181 carries for 627 yards in 15 video games the final two seasons due to accidents.
The Giants operating again has 53 carries for 317 yards and two touchdowns over three video games, together with 164 speeding yards towards the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Stopping Barkley might be an enormous activity for a Bears run protection that has allowed 157 speeding yards per recreation.
“He has big thighs, he has great contact balance, he can hit home runs — so he can take it the distance,” Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams mentioned. “The one thing that I do see that maybe I am not sure that I saw years ago, they feed him the ball in the passing game also. So he’s well improved there and they try to bring pressure and he blocks. He’s a complete back.”
On the flip aspect, the Bears operating recreation is second-best within the NFL with 186.7 speeding yards per recreation. Herbert didn’t miss a beat when prime operating again David Montgomery went down towards the Houston Texans final week, totaling 157 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears declared Montgomery out for Sunday after he missed observe all week with an ankle damage, in order that they seemingly once more will depend on Herbert to drive the offense.
“He has a cool patience about him,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy mentioned. “Coach (David Walker) does an important job with these guys and coaching their eyes the place they’re speculated to be. But Khalil’s received a very cool persistence about him that he’s in a position to let issues occur and make it really feel like he’s not essentially going full pace however he’s, which then permits him to make cuts and browse off the blocks of fellows very well.
“But to me what stood out (against the Texans) compared to the other ones was his ability to make the first defender miss, whether that was a stiff arm, whether that was running through a tackle, whether that was a make-you-miss move, that was the biggest improvement this week.”
2. Keep a watch on …
The Bears go rush versus Daniel Jones
Eberflus mentioned this week that the six sacks the Bears have via three video games isn’t sufficient, noting that past getting their four-man rush going, the strain has “got to come from everybody.”
This week may very well be a superb alternative for a spark.
In the Week 3 “Monday Night Football” recreation, the Dallas Cowboys pressured Jones on 24 drop-backs, based on ESPN. The Giants quarterback was hit 12 occasions and was sacked 5 occasions. He has been sacked 13 occasions this season and accomplished 59 of 92 passes for 560 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Defensive line coach Travis Smith mentioned the Bears received’t mimic the Cowboys however will attempt to seize the chance to have an effect on the quarterback whereas being true to themselves.
“If we do the things that we’re coached to do, the things we’ve been doing all week, then it should be a really good game for us,” Bears defensive sort out Justin Jones mentioned.
“We’ve got to stop the run though. That’s the only way to get sacks. That’s at the forefront of our minds right now is stopping the run, making sure we keep Saquon in the box, populating to the ball. Stop explosive plays. If we get them back between second-and-long, third-and-long, those are where we want to be.”
Even although the Bears are gearing as much as problem the Giants, who might be on quick relaxation, Williams is cautioning his gamers to not assume it will likely be too simple to get to Jones.
“Good coaches solve problems,” Williams mentioned. “And so I try to tell our guys not to go into the ballgame thinking that what you saw the week before in terms of deficiencies that you’ll see (it) the next week.”
3. Pressing query
Will this be the week Justin Fields and the Bears passing recreation begin clicking?
It would be the greatest query each week till Fields has a breakout recreation, even when the operating recreation has appeared excellent thus far.
Fields declared he performed like “trash” towards the Texans, finishing 8 of 17 passes for 106 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions and was sacked 5 occasions.
Through three video games, Fields has tried simply 45 passes, and during the last two video games he has thrown three interceptions and no touchdowns. But Getsy mentioned once more Thursday that Fields has his belief and that the playcalling has been about exploiting matchups — not about being afraid to have Fields throw.
The Giants have given up 203 passing yards per recreation.
“We do whatever we have to do to win games,” Getsy mentioned. “So we’ve opened up the passing recreation. It’s not like we haven’t referred to as go performs or that we’ve been intimidated to name a play by any means. We’re calling the sport we really feel is finest to assault with our matchups.
“The perspective is that everything is just because it’s through Justin. But we have 10 other guys that we have to account for too. Sometimes we aren’t able to go five wide and spread people out because of matchups we have to deal with.”
4. Short-handed
The Bears once more might be with out prime cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who’s recovering from a quad damage and missed practices all week.
But they’ll even be dealing with a depleted Giants receiving corps.
The Giants misplaced one in every of their most efficient receivers when Sterling Shepard, who had 13 catches for 154 yards, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee towards the Cowboys. Two different receivers, Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson, are battling accidents and have been declared out.
Richie James leads the Giants with 14 catches for 146 yards, whereas Barkley has added 13 catches for 91 yards. No different receiver has greater than 5 catches.
“As you look at what they do have in terms of the depth chart, they have guys that can really run,” Williams mentioned. “They have guys that are good with the ball in their hands and they have some guys that can stretch the defense and then one or two of the guys that may not have been playing that are big and catch 50/50 balls that turn out to be not so 50-50, more like 70-30 in their favor. So it’s still a good group, but the engine that runs that team is the running back.”
5. Injury report
The standing of rookie huge receiver Velus Jones Jr. is the most important query after he was restricted earlier within the week with a hamstring damage. The Bears, who positioned receiver Byron Pringle on injured reserve with a calf damage, are nonetheless ready for Jones to make his NFL debut and will use his assistance on offense and within the return recreation. He is listed as questionable after training in full Friday.
Montgomery, Johnson, and security Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) all have been declared out. Tight finish Ryan Griffin (Achilles) and linebacker Matt Adams (hamstring) are uncertain, and defensive finish Robert Quinn (sickness), kicker Cairo Santos (private) and linebacker Sterling Weatherford (ankle) are questionable.
Along with Shepard, Robinson and Toney, defensive lineman Leonard Williams (knee) and cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott (calf) and Nick McCloud (hamstring) are out.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (2-1)
The Giants are proof that even if you throw first-round draft picks at your offensive line points, it doesn’t essentially clear up issues. Left sort out Andrew Thomas, the fourth choose in 2020, has had a bumpy begin. Right sort out Evan Neal, chosen at No. 7 this 12 months, was labored over by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday. Quarterback Daniel Jones is being pressured on 40% of his drop-backs, the very best share of his profession. While the Bears go rush has been spotty with six sacks, this can be a likelihood for Robert Quinn, Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson to get going. Opponents have totaled 29 hits on Jones, a loopy complete via three video games, which is able to result in takeaway alternatives. If the Bears can come out with a constructive turnover margin, they may win — even when Justin Fields continues to wrestle.
Bears 20, Giants 17
Colleen Kane (2-1)
There’s definitely a possibility for the Bears to drag off their first highway victory of the season, particularly if the protection can disrupt Daniel Jones the way in which the Cowboys did Monday. I additionally assume Bears operating again Khalil Herbert can have one other stable recreation instead of David Montgomery. But I’m not fully assured within the Bears protection’s means to decelerate Saquon Barkley, and no one may be positive what we’re going to see from Justin Fields. That uncertainty, coupled with a hostile highway setting, make me assume the Giants will win a detailed one.
Giants 24, Bears 23
Dan Wiederer (2-1)
This all begins with the Bears’ means to comprise Saquon Barkley, who clearly has been the engine of the Giants offense. By limiting Barkley, the Bears will earn alternatives to assault the shaky Giants go safety and make issues uncomfortable on quarterback Daniel Jones, who is working with a stunningly depleted receiving corps. This is a vote of confidence within the Bears’ defensive tenacity and dedication to the operating recreation. And hey, that is the week wherein Justin Fields completes at the least a dozen passes and makes a handful of game-changing contributions.
Bears 23, Giants 19
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Source: www.bostonherald.com