The Chicago Bears travel to take on the New York Jets trying to end their four-game skid. Here is what to look for in the game. If there is one team that needs a bye week it is the Chicago Bears. They currently own a record of 3-8. Additionally, they have a four-game losing streak and lost seven of their last eight games.
When the Bears played the Washington Commanders back in Week 6, their next game wasn’t until Monday Night Football, the final game of Week 7. That gave them 11 days in-between games. Basically, it was a mini-bye week for them.
What happened in that period ended up being transformative. The offense, struggling to score points, suddenly exploded. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy revamped the offense and since then it’s been one of the most potent in the NFL.
Now, however, the players look tired. That is especially true of quarterback Justin Fields. He was breaking records in the past five weeks since then. He averages 110.4 rushing yards per game and has a total of 15 touchdowns.
Last week against the Falcons, it looked as if FIelds ran out of gas in the second half. He looked a step slower running the ball. He took more hits than he usually did and ended up getting hurt late in the game.
Fields and the Bears need their bye week badly but it isn’t coming yet. They still have to play this week and again next week before they can rest.
Somehow, the Bears have to figure out a way to find a victory. The road they have the rest of the season is a difficult one. If they pick up a win, it will be an upset.
First up is the New York Jets. Here is what to look for in the Chicago Bears Week 12 game against the Jets.
Justin Jones could be a big key on defense for the Chicago Bears
One of the problems the Chicago Bears have had this season has been the defense. The Bears have struggled to stop opposing teams.
The pass defense has been pretty good. They rank 9th in passing yards allowed, 8th in passing touchdowns allowed, and 11th in interceptions.
The front seven, however, has struggled. They aren’t putting pressure on the quarterback. In addition, they haven’t stopped the run. The defense ranks 29th in rushing yards allowed and 31st in rushing touchdowns allowed.
One bright spot, however, is defensive tackle Justin Jones. He is on his way to having a career year in tackles and sacks. In the last two games, he has done a good job of getting into gaps and disrupting runners.
Jones has a favorable matchup this week. He goes up against left guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson is struggling this season, especially against the run. Pro Football Focus ranks him 80th of 83 guards at run blocking and 64th overall.
Tomlinson doesn’t have the ability to overpower Jones. Jones should be able to find himself in the Jets’ backfield. It is crucial that he does. Opposing quarterbacks have had all day to throw and given so much time, they eventually find an open receiver.
New York’s offense has struggled to move the ball so Jones and the rest of the defense should play well. If they don’t, it will be another frustrating loss for the Chicago Bears.
Brisker continues to shine
When the Chicago Bears drafted safety Jaquan Brisker in the second round they felt they got themselves an asset for quite some time. After what he did in training camp and preseason games, they know they have one.
Brisker may be a rookie but he doesn’t play like one. He plays like an established veteran. For the season, he has 73 tackles (5 for loss), 3 quarterback hits, a pass defended, a forced fumble, and an interception. Furthermore, he leads the Chicago Bears in sacks with three.
Last week against the Atlanta Falcons Brisker had a career-high 11 tackles. He is only getting better as the season progresses. What’s even better is that he complements free safety Eddie Jackson well. Jackson has returned to his dependable self with Brisker on the field. The two make a formidable duo.
Brisker could see Jets tight end Tyler Conklin a lot in the game. That would be a favorable matchup for Brisker and the Bears. Conklin has 35 catches for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, 18 catches, 140 yards, and a touchdown came in the first three games.
Conklin will again struggle with Brisker covering him. Brisker can cover him well and will have chances to force turnovers, either with interceptions or forced fumbles.
Get to the quarterback!
As stated earlier, the Chicago Bears have struggled to get to the quarterback. Opposing quarterbacks have plenty of time to find open receivers.
Last week was a perfect example of that. Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has a history of making bad decisions when pressured. Well, there was almost no pressure on him by the Bears. Chicago had no sacks so he had time to make good decisions and complete big passes.
That cannot happen this week. The Jets announced that quarterback Zach Wilson won’t start. He had a horrible game last week and had a problematic postgame press conference.
In fact, Wilson will assuredly not play at all in the game. Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Wilson will be inactive for the game. He said Mike White would start and Joe Flacco would be his backup. This is White’s first start of the season. He played in four games last season for the Jets, starting three of them. He had a 1-2 record.
This gives the Bears a perfect opportunity to succeed. The defense needs to pressure White so he makes mistakes. The Bears do a good job of capitalizing on mistakes. They rank 11th in the league in turnovers.
The Bears need to finally get to the quarterback. They need to make whoever is under center uncomfortable.
Coaches need to call a better game
Last week was not a good week for the Chicago Bears coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has done a good job of getting the most out of Fields’ running game involved in the offense. Fields has done a marvelous job of breaking down defenses.
Last week, it looked as if Fields wore down. He had a big first half, but things were different in the second half. He looked a step slower than normal and he was massaging his legs. Then, on the final drive of the game, he took a hit and hurt his shoulder.
Head coach Matt Eberflus said that Fields was cleared to practice and he is day to day. That means he should be good to go this week, depending on how he feels on gameday.
A case could be made that Fields getting injured was on Getsy. He called vanilla plays that allowed the Falcons to make big tackles. Then, when Fields looked slower, Getsy continued to call running plays. He took a few more hits than normal.
While Getsy has kept calling Fields’ number in the running game, he continues to avoid developing his passing game. While his running game is excellent, a quarterback gets paid to throw passes. All that running seems to have taken a toll. He was already slowed down, likely massaging his legs to keep from cramping. Being slower, the defense could catch up to him better.
Getsy needs to let Fields throw the ball more. Fields has improved in that area. He increased his passing percentage with more high-percentage passes. However, Getsy has kept FIelds’ throwing to a minimum.
The Bears still rank last in passing attempts. Getsy needs to call more plays. While the offensive line struggles to protect him, he can use his legs to extend plays. Running downfield at full speed and moving around to extend a play are two different animals. They need more rollouts so Fields doesn’t get stuck in the pocket and take big hits.
Defensively, Alan Williams needs to do a better job. Yes, the Bears blitzed more last week. However, Williams made it obvious when the defense would blitz. That made it easier for Atlanta to adjust. The fact that the Falcons allowed no sacks shows that they adjusted well.
Williams needs to disguise his sacks and the timing when he calls them. He needs to keep the Jets’ offensive line off-balanced. If the Bears keep them on their heels then they’ll have a better chance to get to the quarterback.
A few weeks ago, this game was one that would be difficult to win. With the Jets struggling on offense, though, Chicago has a shot. While New York’s defense is a top-ten unit, the offense ranks near the bottom in most categories.
The defense needs to take advantage of the Jets’ deficiencies. As I mentioned earlier, the Bears have been in a similar situation before and they failed to capitalize. That needs to change this week and the coaches have to be front and center in doing so.