Windy City Gridiron
The Chicago Bears are looking to keep their winning ways going with a tough test on the road.
Using the word test when talking about a 1-5 Ravens team seems odd, but the Baltimore Ravens were preseason Super Bowl favorites.
The Ravens have been plagued by bad injury luck and bad defensive play.
However, the Ravens are very strong after their bye weeks. Under John Harbaugh, they’re 14-3 following the bye week.
What is it going to take for the Bears to win?
Sam: The Bears have to keep doing what they’ve been doing. Run the ball, stop the run. If they get any turnovers this week, they have to capitalize with touchdowns. If Lamar Jackson is playing, they can’t afford to settle for field goals. Lamar Jackson is the big difference maker.
ECD – Contain, contain, contain on defense. They need to be prepared for anything, including the scenario where Lamar Jackson returns at QB. So, pass-rushing lanes need to be better than they ever have up to this point in the regular season. And, most importantly, they cannot take bad angles to the ball carriers led by one King Henry.
On offense, they will need to not simply keep positive possession of the ball. They will need to make every single drive count; score touchdowns, not field goals. John Harbaugh is as seasoned a veteran as any coach you will face in the pros.
Jack R Salo: The Ravens are allowing 32.3 yards per game, the most in the league. Meanwhile, the Bears are scoring 25.3 points per game, which is top-10 in the league. Knowing that, a big key for the Bears is in the secondary. Brisker and Byard need to keep the Ravens from connecting on anything deep. Don’t let things flip on one big play. Then, on offense, red zone efficiency is an area where the Bears have to get much better. This is a golden opportunity.
Gooch: The top key here is context dependent – if it is Lamar Jackson at QB – containing Lamar in the pocket will be absolutely essential. If it isn’t Lamar, then more attention to containing Henry in the run game would be more of a focus. Pass rush has to continue to improve – getting Booker out there on a limited snap count should help. On the offensive side of the ball, Caleb needs to get back on track. I think that starts with him being more willing to run – take those yards in front of him – instead of always looking to pass it downfield. He needs to improve his accuracy. Rome needs to catch balls that hit is hands. The Bears run game must continue to be productive. It’s a road game against a team desperate for victory, the Bears will have to counterpunch in order to end up on top in this one, as the Ravens will give them their best shot.
Josh: Caleb needs to have a game where he takes what’s available...
