In an ugly affair at Soldier Field last Sunday, we watched a remarkably different Bears team than the one that entertained us in Week 1. That was particularly true on offense. Chicago left their opening contest in Carolina with a ton of confidence, and why shouldn’t they be confident? Ben Johnson’s Bears dropped 59 points on the Panthers, on the road, in a display of an exceptionally well-run scheme.
We knew that Minnesota’s defense was better than Carolina’s, but Chicago’s drop in output was still shocking in game two. They scored 56 fewer points in their second battle, mustering only 297 yards and averaging 4.2 yards per play. They averaged 7.7 the weekend prior. The rain didn’t help matters, nor did the Bears’ two untimely turnovers, the last occurring on first and goal from the 1-yard line.
Making matters infinitely worse, Caleb Williams incurred a hamstring injury late in the third quarter, clearing the Vikings’ path to victory. Williams is officially week-to-week, with reports suggesting he has little chance to suit up on Monday night. Even worse, lauded backup Tyson Bagent, who has looked very refined in previous starts with the team, is under concussion protocol. That means Case Keenum, the 14-year journeyman, may need to take the field under center on MNF.
The good news is the Bears’ defense was far better in Week 2, but that probably has more to do with the inclement weather and a limited Vikings offense under Carson Wentz.
Last year on Black Friday, the Bears trotted into Philadelphia and dominated the reigning Super Bowl champions. Rushing for 281 yards and holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes (39:18), Chicago bullied and embarrassed the Eagles in front of their fans. It was a startling performance from a team clearly on the rise. We wonder how capable they are of doing that again.
The good news for Bears fans is that, while Philly is 2-0, they haven’t looked very impressive. Two weeks in and their Week 1 win over the Commanders, which was a very close game (24-22, and Washington outgained Philadelphia 20-10 in first downs), now looks very mediocre. They also struggled against the Titans, a consensus bottom-three roster, in Week 2. Combined, they’ve permitted 254 rushing yards to their opponent, too, which should concern Eagles backers. Another example – the Titans, of all teams, outgained the Eagles in yards per play (5.7 to 4.7) in Week 2.
This is a tougher spot than advertised for Philly. Next week they have a marquee matchup against the preseason Super Bowl favorites at home, the LA Rams. This is also their second straight road matchup, and this one’s against one of the sharpest offensive minds in the league. No matter who plays behind center, we like a more desperate Bears’ squad to keep this competition close. After all, Philadelphia, who was losing 20-17 deep into the fourth quarter last Sunday, hasn’t been able to pull away from even the lowliest programs. The Eagles might be without Saquon Barkley, too, who suffered a neck injury (stinger) last week against Tennessee. There are many home dogs that carry value this week; this one is at the top of our list.
Eagles vs Bears best bet: Bears +4.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to +4 (-110).
