The Chicago Bears struggle in New York
The Chicago Bears came into New York with an excellent chance to go 3-1. The Giants aren’t great on paper. This was a good test to see how the new Bears regime stack up against a new Giants staff also in their first season. The Bears were arguably going against one of the worst quarterbacks, Daniel Jones, on their schedule this season.
The Bears made some plays early that looked like the team could win handily. But mistakes on both sides of the ball made the game another frustrating one to watch for Bears fans. The Bears ultimately took a step back against the Giants in a 20-12 loss.
Three Studs
Michael Badgley
With Bears kicker Cairo Santos out for personal reasons, Michael Badgley was signed this week by the Bears. He was busy with his new team Sunday. He went 4/4 in the game on field goals. That’s highly impressive for someone who wasn’t on the roster a few days ago. He faced weather conditions in New York that were cool and damp.
Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney needed a breakout game. He got one in Week 4. Through the first three weeks, Mooney had just 27 yards receiving. Mooney had some nice open routes against the Giants. He caught four passes for 94 yards. His 56-yard reception in the first quarter helped set up a field goal. But more than that, it brought confidence to a passing game that had been shaken in the previous two weeks.
Eddie Jackson
Eddie Jackson was all over the field for the Bears in Week 4. He finished second to Roquan Smith for the most tackles against the giants, with nine total. Jackson made a huge interception in the fourth quarter for the Bears. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t do anything with the extra possession. It was Jackson’s third interception this season. Jackson is coming alive in this defense, and it’s exciting to see.
Three Duds
The Chicago Bears offensive line
The Bears’ offensive line was terrible in pass protection against the Giants. The line struggled to pick up any blitz sent their way. Justin Fields was sacked six times. It wasn’t just one lineman that struggled. Braxton Jones, Lucas Patrick, and Teven Jenkins had their struggles. It didn’t help that Cody Whitehair was injured. Fields fumbled a potential first down pass from the heavy pressure they let up.
Chicago Bears defense against the bootleg and running game in general
Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense ate up the Chicago Bears’ defense in the first half. Most of the plays came on the bootleg. The Bears had made no adjustment in the first half as their linebackers continued to bite on the play action. The Bears made some adjustments in the second half but still were spotty against the play. Jones finished the game with six rushes for 68 yards. The Giants finished with over 262 yards rushing. That’s the second game this season the Bears have given up over 200 yards on the ground.
Chicago Bears offense in the red zone
The Bears’ offense did many good things on multiple drives against the Giants. They had long drives with yards gained of 65, 77, and 58 that they were unable to score touchdowns on. However, the Bears’ woes in the red zone continued in Week 4. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy let FIelds throw the ball more during the game.
But in the red zone, it appeared he went a little more conservative and kept feeding the ball to running back Khalil Herbert. The reliance on field goals instead of converting touchdowns ultimately cost the Bears a win against the Giants. The Bears will need to pass the ball in the red zone to score touchdowns in the future.
Honorable mention: Chicago Bears rookies
Velus Jones Jr.’s muffed punt return iced the loss. Braxton Jones looks awful at the left tackle spot. Cornerback Kyler Gordon has been incompetent in the secondary.
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