Week 4 Bears Preview: Battle of Surprise Winning Teams in the Meadowlands
Bears, Giants meet in a match-up of run-heavy offenses that'll look for more control from their QBs
It wasn’t the response you expect to hear from your quarterback when asked what it was like to watch back film of his play in a game that his team won.
“Frustrating, for sure, but you learn from your mistakes,” said Justin Fields about doing that very thing this week.
Though it should be acknowledged that Fields set the tone for discussion of his 8-completion, 2-interception performance that did little to help the Chicago Bears’ effort in a scrappy 23-20 victory over the Houston Texans last Sunday. Fields was the first one to say his performance was “trash” — in the public relations business they call that “getting ahead of the story.”
Indeed, as the week has unfolded, Fields’ play has been the main talking point among Bears’ faithful, but he’s had the benefit of attention being warranted to the team’s explosive run game as well as a defense that has apparently learned how to force turnovers again.
An Unlikely Reflection
This Sunday when the Bears clash with the New York Giants in the Meadowlands they will be staring down a team that is similar to them in more ways than one.
The Giants, like the Bears, are a team that no one expected to be 2-1 after three games.
Also, these two teams feature similarly bruising rushing attacks, two of the top five statistically in the league to be exact.
Less of a reason for each team to brag, though, are the passing attacks each feature. Behind respective quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Fields the Giants and Bears are each among the bottom three in passing yards in the NFL. Not surprisingly, the Bears are dead last.
A glancing look at Jones and Fields — one a four-year veteran, the other a supposed All-Pro in the making — has forced repeated questions regarding why each team’s passing game are so underwhelming.
Under the Moon
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was asked on Thursday if the number of pass attempts was a sign of a lack of trust for Fields.
“No, not at all,” Getsy said. “We do what we think is best to help our team play a team football game to help us win games.”
In last season’s meeting between these two teams, the Bears walked away with what was surely their easiest victory of the 2021 season — quarterback Andy Dalton led the Bears to a 29-3 battering of the Giants which featured wide receiver Darnell Mooney recording a game high 69 yards on 7 receptions. Mooney was also targeted a total of 13 times.
To put that in perspective, the third year wide out has only four receptions through the first three games of this season on a total of 11 targets, producing only 27 yards.
Next Man Up
One thing that is for sure is the Bears run game is led by ball carrier David Montgomery.
Sadly, due to knee and ankle injuries, Montgomery will be out this week.
Therefore, Khalil Herbert will once again be asked to be the lead back. That worked out well in last week’s win, where the eventual “Ground Player of the Week” ran for a career high 157 yards.
Showdown of Runners
Herbert won’t be the only running back to watch in this one as the Bears take on star tailback Saquon Barkley.
The 2018 rookie of the year had two straight 1,000 rushing yard seasons to start his career but injuries have held him back in the last two.
This year Barkley looks healthy again and primed for a massive 2022 campaign, the 25-year old has racked up 317 yards through the first three weeks.
“He's a dynamic runner and he's been like that since college. I have a lot of respect for the guy,” linebacker Roquan Smith said of Barkley this week.
The Bears and Giants kick off Sunday at noon.
TV: Fox
Radio: WBBM Newsradio 780 AM and 105.9 FM
Spanish Radio: TUDN 1200 AM and Latino Mix 93.5 FM
Weather: 62 degrees, mostly sunny
Saul Rodriguez is WARR Media’s associate producer and lead Bears reporter