The Chicago Bears take a two-game winning streak into London in Week 6 as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the Jaguars have struggled this season, they usually play well in London games. Here is what to watch for in the game.
Things are looking up for the Chicago Bears. After struggling coming out of the gate, going 1-2, they now have a two-game winning streak. That may not seem like a big streak, but that has been the Bears’ longest streak since they won three in a row in Weeks 14-16 of the 2020 season.
The offense, which was severely struggling early on, is starting to put things together. Caleb Williams is starting to get more comfortable throwing the ball. He is not trying to play as much hero ball as he did early on. Additionally, he is starting to connect with WR1 D.J. Moore. The duo has three touchdowns in the past two games.
The offensive line is settling in as well. The unit was playing horribly at the start of the season. WIlliams was running for his life and the running game was unable to gain many yards. The line is cutting down on the presnap penalties and is starting to open some holes and give Williams more time to throw.
Speaking of the running game, D’Andre Swift has been killing it on the ground and in the passing game. He had his own struggles. He had 114 yards from scrimmage and zero touchdowns in the first three games. He has 285 yards from scrimmage in the past two games and 2 touchdowns.
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Meanwhile, the defense has been playing like the elite unit the players say it is. They are backing up their talk by going out and playing tough. The Chicago Bears defense is fourth in interceptions, third in total turnovers forced, second in passing touchdowns allowed, and number one in forced fumbles. Additionally, they are fifth in points allowed and seventh in total yards.
Now the Chicago Bears take their momentum across the pond. They face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Tottenham, located in North London.
This could be a trap game for the Bears. They come in with growing confidence. Things are falling into place and they feel they can take off. On the other hand, the Jaguars are struggling. They have just one victory this season. Their struggles are both on offense and defense.
While the Jaguars are a struggling team, they usually play well when they travel to London. They are 6-5 and have played in a number of close games. The Bears have played two official games (and one exhibition) and split them.
Jacksonville feels comfortable in Europe, having trips there seemingly every season. Chicago, on the other hand, decided to leave for London on Monday so they could get their body clocks adjusted to the time change.
The Chicago Bears want to be fully charged for the game. They want to be at full strength so they can extend their streak. A good showing and a victory on Sunday could start raising eyebrows around the NFL. There are some who feel the Bears are a year or two from being real contenders. Others feel that this is the year they can start competing for real.
A three-game winning streak going into the bye week can raise some hopes in Chicago Bears Nation.
Here are some things to watch for in the Chicago Bears’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Can the Chicago Bears defense continue tits elite-level play?
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As mentioned earlier, the Chicago Bears’ defense has been playing at an elite level so far this season. The unit is racking up the turnovers. They have at least one turnover in every game in 2024. They also have a turnover forced in 11 of their last 12 games. This defense is a turnover machine.
The Bears are missing one key part of the defense, however. Safety Jaquan Brisker, who has been a major asset for the defense with his tough play, will miss the game. He is in concussion protocol so he did not make the trip to London.
While he isn’t at Brisker’s level, Elijah Hicks is a capable backup. He has already started eight games in his two seasons as a backup strong safety. He will be ready to step up when needed.
The critical part for the defense is whether they can get pressure on Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars rank 20th in sacks allowed so the Bears’ defensive line could have opportunities at getting to Lawrence.
Built different 😤 pic.twitter.com/qGSXyCqxYh
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 8, 2024
The reason the Chicago Bears secondary can make plays is because of the pressure up front. The Bears rank 11th in the NFL in sacks. That is much better than being ranked 31st or last as they have in the recent past. Additionally, they are putting more pressure on the quarterback than they have been.
The Chicago Bears rank eighth in quarterback pressure. That pressure is making opposing quarterbacks make costly mistakes. When the quarterback has to throw the ball before he wants to, mistakes will happen. Chicago’s secondary is taking advantage of that.
If the Chicago Bears can continue their success at pressuring the quarterback it will be a long day for Lawrence. They could feast on his mistakes and solidify the elite status they are seeking.
Williams could have a big game
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As bad as the Jaguars offense has been, the defense is even worse. The unit ranks last in passing yards allowed, 30th in interceptions made, and 28th in passing touchdowns allowed. Also, they rank 22nd in sacks.
With Williams steadily improving, this could be another stepping stone in his development. The Jaguars cannot get to the quarterback so opposing quarterbacks are torching them. Williams wants to be the next man up to take advantage of their struggles.
WIlliams has shown that he can stay in the pocket and make big throws. Even when he was running for his life, he showed glimpses of his fantastic abilities. In Week 2 against the Houston Texans, they continually blitzed him.
The Chicago Bears’ offensive line was unable to handle that and WIlliams had to run in circles to avoid getting hit. Even with that, he was sacked seven times. However, when the Texans did not blitz and he had time, Williams completed nearly 70 percent of his passes.
Williams has been very efficient in the past two weeks. He has completed 71 percent of his passes for 461 yards and 3 touchdowns. Most importantly, after committing five turnovers in his two previous games, he had none during this mini-winning streak.
Williams has to be licking his chops wanting to take on this defense. He punished the Carolina Panthers’ struggling defense and wants to do the same to the Jaguars defense. With Jacksonville’s inability to pressure the quarterback and their inability to snatch interceptions, this could be a huge game for Williams.
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