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The Chicago Bears and New York Giants, enjoying below new head coaches Matt Eberflus and Brian Daboll, are two of 8 NFL groups that ignored the playoffs in 2021 however have began this season 2-1 or higher.
The Bears and Giants will meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium with a possibility to construct on the ones begins. As kickoff approaches, right here’s our snapshot take a look at the sport.
Saquon Barkley and Khalil Herbert
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Barkley is taking a look extra like his previous self than the person who was once restricted to 181 carries for 627 yards in 15 video games the closing two seasons as a result of accidents.
The Giants operating again has 53 carries for 317 yards and two touchdowns over 3 video games, together with 164 dashing yards towards the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Stopping Barkley shall be a large job for a Bears run protection that has allowed 157 dashing yards in line with sport.
“He has big thighs, he has great contact balance, he can hit home runs — so he can take it the distance,” Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams stated. “The one thing that I do see that maybe I am not sure that I saw years ago, they feed him the ball in the passing game also. So he’s well improved there and they try to bring pressure and he blocks. He’s a complete back.”
On the turn facet, the Bears operating sport is second-best within the NFL with 186.7 dashing yards in line with sport. Herbert didn’t omit a beat when best operating again David Montgomery went down towards the Houston Texans closing week, totaling 157 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears declared Montgomery out for Sunday after he ignored apply all week with an ankle damage, in order that they most probably once more will rely on Herbert to power the offense.
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“He has a cool patience about him,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy stated. “Coach (David Walker) does a great job with those guys and training their eyes where they’re supposed to be. But Khalil’s got a really cool patience about him that he’s able to let things happen and make it feel like he’s not necessarily going full speed but he is, which then allows him to make cuts and read off the blocks of guys really well.
“But to me what stood out (against the Texans) compared to the other ones was his ability to make the first defender miss, whether that was a stiff arm, whether that was running through a tackle, whether that was a make-you-miss move, that was the biggest improvement this week.”
The Bears go rush as opposed to Daniel Jones
Eberflus stated this week that the six sacks the Bears have thru 3 video games isn’t sufficient, noting that past getting their four-man rush going, the power has “got to come from everybody.”
This week is usually a excellent alternative for a spark.
In the Week 3 “Monday Night Football” sport, the Dallas Cowboys harassed Jones on 24 drop-backs, in accordance to ESPN. The Giants quarterback was once hit 12 occasions and was once sacked 5 occasions. He has been sacked 13 occasions this season and finished 59 of 92 passes for 560 yards, 3 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Defensive line trainer Travis Smith stated the Bears gained’t mimic the Cowboys however will check out to snatch the chance to impact the quarterback whilst being true to themselves.
“If we do the things that we’re coached to do, the things we’ve been doing all week, then it should be a really good game for us,” Bears defensive take on Justin Jones stated.
“We’ve got to stop the run though. That’s the only way to get sacks. That’s at the forefront of our minds right now is stopping the run, making sure we keep Saquon in the box, populating to the ball. Stop explosive plays. If we get them back between second-and-long, third-and-long, those are where we want to be.”
Even although the Bears are gearing up to problem the Giants, who shall be on quick relaxation, Williams is cautioning his gamers now not to suppose it’s going to be too simple to get to Jones.
“Good coaches solve problems,” Williams stated. “And so I try to tell our guys not to go into the ballgame thinking that what you saw the week before in terms of deficiencies that you’ll see (it) the next week.”
Will this be the week Justin Fields and the Bears passing sport get started clicking?
It would be the largest query each and every week till Fields has a breakout sport, even supposing the operating sport has appeared excellent to this point.
Fields declared he performed like “trash” towards the Texans, finishing 8 of 17 passes for 106 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions and was once sacked 5 occasions.
Through 3 video games, Fields has tried simply 45 passes, and over the past two video games he has thrown 3 interceptions and no touchdowns. But Getsy stated once more Thursday that Fields has his consider and that the playcalling has been about exploiting matchups — now not about being afraid to have Fields throw.
The Giants have given up 203 passing yards in line with sport.
“We do whatever we have to do to win games,” Getsy stated. “So we’ve opened up the passing game. It’s not like we haven’t called pass plays or that we’ve been intimidated to call a play by any means. We’re calling the game we feel is best to attack with our matchups.
“The perspective is that everything is just because it’s through Justin. But we have 10 other guys that we have to account for too. Sometimes we aren’t able to go five wide and spread people out because of matchups we have to deal with.”
The Bears once more shall be with out best cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who’s getting better from a quad damage and ignored practices all week.
But they’ll even be going through a depleted Giants receiving corps.
The Giants misplaced certainly one of their best receivers when Sterling Shepard, who had 13 catches for 154 yards, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee towards the Cowboys. Two different receivers, Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson, are combating accidents and had been declared out.
Richie James leads the Giants with 14 catches for 146 yards, whilst Barkley has added 13 catches for 91 yards. No different receiver has greater than 5 catches.
“As you look at what they do have in terms of the depth chart, they have guys that can really run,” Williams stated. “They have guys that are good with the ball in their hands and they have some guys that can stretch the defense and then one or two of the guys that may not have been playing that are big and catch 50/50 balls that turn out to be not so 50-50, more like 70-30 in their favor. So it’s still a good group, but the engine that runs that team is the running back.”
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The standing of rookie extensive receiver Velus Jones Jr. is the most important query after he was once restricted previous within the week with a hamstring damage. The Bears, who positioned receiver Byron Pringle on injured reserve with a calf damage, are nonetheless looking ahead to Jones to make his NFL debut and may use his assist on offense and within the go back sport. He is indexed as questionable after training in complete Friday.
Montgomery, Johnson, and protection Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) all had been declared out. Tight finish Ryan Griffin (Achilles) and linebacker Matt Adams (hamstring) are unsure, and defensive finish Robert Quinn (sickness), kicker Cairo Santos (private) and linebacker Sterling Weatherford (ankle) are questionable.
Along with Shepard, Robinson and Toney, defensive lineman Leonard Williams (knee) and cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott (calf) and Nick McCloud (hamstring) are out.
The Giants are evidence that even while you throw first-round draft selections at your offensive line problems, it doesn’t essentially resolve issues. Left take on Andrew Thomas, the fourth pick out in 2020, has had a bumpy get started. Right take on Evan Neal, decided on at No. 7 this 12 months, was once labored over by way of the Dallas Cowboys on Monday. Quarterback Daniel Jones is being harassed on 40% of his drop-backs, the best share of his profession. While the Bears go rush has been spotty with six sacks, it is a probability for Robert Quinn, Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson to get going. Opponents have totaled 29 hits on Jones, a loopy general thru 3 video games, which is able to lead to takeaway alternatives. If the Bears can pop out with a good turnover margin, they are going to win — even supposing Justin Fields continues to fight.
Bears 20, Giants 17
There’s without a doubt a possibility for the Bears to pull off their first street victory of the season, particularly if the protection can disrupt Daniel Jones the best way the Cowboys did Monday. I additionally suppose Bears operating again Khalil Herbert will have any other cast sport instead of David Montgomery. But I’m now not fully assured within the Bears protection’s talent to decelerate Saquon Barkley, and no person may also be certain what we’re going to see from Justin Fields. That uncertainty, coupled with a opposed street surroundings, make me suppose the Giants will win a detailed one.
Giants 24, Bears 23
This all begins with the Bears’ talent to comprise Saquon Barkley, who obviously has been the engine of the Giants offense. By restricting Barkley, the Bears will earn alternatives to assault the shaky Giants go coverage and make things uncomfortable on quarterback Daniel Jones, who is working with a stunningly depleted receiving corps. This is a vote of self assurance within the Bears’ defensive tenacity and willpower to the operating sport. And whats up, that is the week during which Justin Fields completes no less than a dozen passes and makes a handful of game-changing contributions.
Bears 23, Giants 19