2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 9

Miami Dolphins (5-3) at Chicago Bears (3-5)

Sunday, November 6, 1:00 PM ET

The last handful of weeks have been extremely interesting for both the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears. For the Bears, even at a record of just 3-5, it feels like this team has slightly overachieved. They have shown some improvements offensively while losing, but they have also won some games in which the offense didn’t play well at all.

After trading Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears are now in an interesting position defensively where we saw them get absolutely gashed against the Dallas Cowboys and Tony Pollard, and things aren’t going to get any easier in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, who boast one of the NFL’s most potent offensive attacks this year when Tua Tagovailoa is healthy.

The Dolphins have had to deal with injuries at the quarterback position after a white-hot start to the year for Tua Tagovailoa and the dynamic duo of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins have three games this season with over 450 total yards of offense, including 476 yards against the hapless Lions in Week 8.

The concern for the Chicago Bears in a game like this — how do you stop Waddle and Hill from breaking down your defense with their speed? The Bears no longer have Robert Quinn rushing the passer but the pass defense has been tough as a whole, ranking 5th in the NFL this season in yards allowed.

That unit is going to be put to the test in a significant way. I think the Bears, with their offensive improvements, should not be taken lightly in this kind of matchup, even though they probably will be by most. We’re seeing Justin Fields make some strides, if only small ones.

Prediction: Dolphins win 27-24