The Chicago Bears will be in Los Angeles on Sunday Night to face the Chargers in a primetime affair in a matchup that is building momentum in the Bears’ favor. Although Los Angeles is favored by more than seven points, NFL analysts and Bears’ fans believe Chicago has a good chance of pulling off an upset against the two-win Chargers due to the offensive line being stabilized and the steady improvement of play by the defense. With All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson to return on Sunday, the Bears’ defense is playing well at just the right time as the Bears’ upcoming schedule leans toward the team’s favor.
Chicago’s Defense Has Several Favorable Matchups Over The Next Few Weeks
In only the second time since Week One, the Bears’ defense will have their starting secondary together. Following Chicago’s season-opening loss to Green Bay, the defense lost a starting defensive back one by one as Jackson, Kyler Gordon, and Jaylon Johnson all missed games from Week two through Week 6. Now against the Chargers, all three and starting safety Jaquan Brisker, who is currently battling an illness, are slated to play together.
The Bears’ defense is coming over its best performance of the 2023 season as they held the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense to just 12 points and forced three interceptions. It was the best outing by Matt Eberflus’ defensive unit since the team’s Week 7 victory over the New England Patriots last year, a win that also included three interceptions. Over the past two weeks, Chicago’s defense has been steadily improving as they have recorded back-to-back games of holding opposing offenses to less than 20 points.
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Chicago’s next three opponents are struggling on offense to either score points or avoid turnovers. Last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers offense had multiple chances to score but were held to only 17 points as quarterback Justin Herbert was sacked five times and intercepted twice. Despite not throwing an interception in the first three games of the season, Herbert has thrown four interceptions in the team’s last three games.
Following Sunday night’s game against Los Angeles, the Bears will be on the road next Sunday when they travel to New Orleans to face the Saints. The Saints have struggled recently, as they have lost four of their last five games and have scored less than 21 points in three of those five contests. Saints’ quarterback Derek Carr has passed for over 300 yards in his previous two games but also failed to eclipse 200 yards passing in the three games before that.
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The Bears’ next home game will be on Thursday, November 9th, against the winless Carolina Panthers and rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Young and the Panthers’ offense has struggled consistently to score points and protect the football this season, as the offensive unit only has eight passing touchdowns. Carolina’s rookie quarterback has yet to pass for over 250 yards in a game and has been intercepted four times in five starts.
Bears Need To Capitalize On Upcoming Schedule If They Plan On Reviving Their Playoff Hopes
With the next three games being winnable, the Bears could find themselves at .500 midway through November, which would have been a pipe dream at the beginning of October following the team’s embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4. With a 5-5 record heading into week 11, it would give Chicago a legitimate chance at having playoff hopes heading into December. It would be a terrific feat by Eberflus, given how much chaos the team dealt with during Weeks 3 and 4 with defensive coordinator Alan Williams’s controversial resignation.
Potentially having a four-game winning streak with a win over the Panthers would also come at the right time for the Bears, as they would have ten days off before a significant divisional game against the first-place Detroit Lions. If Chicago’s secondary can remain healthy and the defensive front-seven can maintain their high level of play, having four games worth of film and an extended rest period would assist the team’s chances of playing well against Detroit on November 19th. It would also enable Eberflus to redeem himself after Chicago’s lackluster performance in Week 6 against the Vikings following a ten-day break after their first win of 2023 over the Washington Commanders.
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Last Sunday’s win over the Raiders provided a successful blueprint the Bears can follow to be victorious, especially with undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent as their starting quarterback. The way to a win is to have a successful running game, along with a mistake-free passing offense that plays complementary football to keep Chicago’s defense off the field. Additionally, if the Bears’ defense can continue to force turnovers, as they have forced six takeaways in their last three games, the team will generate a sizeable winning streak.
Let’s not get to 5-5 before we get to 3-5. One game at a time.