Giants Week Four Preview: The Chicago Bears
After receiving a wake-up call by the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, the Giants look to recover against a Bears team who’s in a similar position. The game will be physical as both teams look to go to 3-1.
Coming into last Monday’s game against the Cowboys, the Giants were riding high off of a 2-0 start and the start of the Daboll, Schoen regime couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Like all dreams, things must come back down to Earth, and the Giants certainly were hit with a dose of reality Monday Night as their weaknesses were heavily exposed, and they lost 23-16 to the Cowboys.
Now on a short week, they must recover quickly as they stay home to play the 2-1 Bears who are similarly viewed around the league. They weren’t supposed to have this good of a record to start the year and they are trying to build momentum behind a first-year head coach. Sunday’s game is crucial as the winner will be 3-1 and in a good position to compete in their divisions. With the Eagles being 3-0 and looking like one of the best teams in the league, the Giants need to keep stacking wins to stay in the race.
Bears Continue To Try To Grow Around Justin Fields
Like the Giants, the Chicago Bears were slated to be towards the bottom half of the league since they looked to be in a rebuild. They are in the first year of Ryan Poles being the general manager and Matt Eberflus being the head coach. Quarterback Justin Fields is in his second year and first as a full-time starter so things will have to take time to gel. It doesn’t help that the offensive line has and continues to be a problem which makes things even more difficult for Fields.
All of that can be true but starting the season 2-1 isn’t a bad way to start the new regime. Despite that impressive winning record, Justin Fields has only completed 23-45 passes through three games. That number is astonishing considering the NFL is a pass-first league now. They are barely generating any passing offense, but they are running the ball really well. They are second in the league in both rushing attempts and yards with 5.4 yards per attempt. Even with the Bears being dead last in total yards gained through the first three weeks, they seem to have an offensive identity and it’s leading to wins so far.
The defense has and continues to be the soul of this team. Even though the sacks haven’t entirely been there, they get after the quarterback as they are amongst the best in the league in hurries and pressure percentage. Linebacker Roquan Smith is a name to keep an eye on as he’s tied for the league lead in combined tackles and already has an interception this year. He’s a freaky athlete and flies all over the field to make plays.
Detailing The Giants Gameplan As They Prepare For A Grueling Matchup With The Bears
It’s not going to be a pretty game on Sunday as both teams don’t play the best-looking football. They try to grind it out for 60 minutes and hopefully they come out of it on the right side. The Giants can’t waver and have to play a physical style of football. That means running the ball a lot with Saquon Barkley. Although the Bears’ defense is tough, they do have a weakness in the run game. They’ve allowed the second most rushing yards in the NFL through the first three weeks and the Giants must pounce on that. Barkley should have at least 23 rushing attempts Sunday and also should be once again involved in the passing game.
With Sterling Shepard out for the season with a torn ACL, Wide Receiver Kenny Golladay has to step up and play like the number one receiver he’s being paid like. He has to stop with the drops and create separation for himself down the field. Big plays were once his calling card and if he can have two of those types of plays Sunday, it will greatly increase the Giants’ chances of winning. Also, if Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson are still out this week, look for David Sills and Darius Slayton to get more playing time.
The Giant defense has to continue what they’re doing as they rank amongst the best in the league in most categories. Specifically for this game, stopping the run will be key and Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence will be an important factor in doing that. Bears QB Justin Fields also likes to escape the pocket if he feels pressure so EDGE Rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari have to be aware so that Fields doesn’t run for some cheap yards.
Giants Injury Report
Some key names continue to find their way onto the Giants’ injury report as WRs Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson are still not out there practicing this week. Toney is still recovering from a hamstring injury he’s been dealing with the past couple of weeks while Robinson is dealing with a knee injury, he suffered during the game Week One against the Titans.
On the defensive side of the ball, Defensive End Leonard Williams is also not practicing as he’s recovering from a knee injury, he suffered in Week Two against the Panthers. He’s not expected to be out much longer but his status for this Sunday is in doubt. The good news for the Giants is that in their first game back, EDGE Rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari didn’t seem to suffer any injuries in their return. They will likely see a jump in their snap count after being limited Monday.