Sportsnaut
Two of the NFL’s most storied franchises, the New York Giants and Chicago Bears, will battle Sunday at Soldier Field.
Despite both teams hiring their general managers in 2022, they’re heading in opposite directions. The Giants have lost three straight, putting general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll squarely on the hot seat.
Meanwhile, the Bears have won five of their last six games, and GM Ryan Poles and rookie head coach Ben Johnson have received high praise for having Chicago just a half-game out of first place in the NFC North.
Both teams have been involved in some of the season’s most thrilling games, and Sunday could deliver more fireworks. Here are four bold predictions.
Jaxson Dart has been impressive since being named the starter in Week 4. He’s thrown 10 touchdowns and rushed for five more, recording at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in four consecutive games.
The former Ole Miss quarterback earned Offensive Rookie of the Month honors for October with that impressive stretch.
But one feat has eluded him: a 300-yard passing game. In three of his last four outings, he’s thrown for fewer than 200 yards. That changes Sunday against the Bears’ 25th-ranked pass defense, where Dart will post the first 300-yard passing performance of his career.
Caleb Williams is coming into his own in his second NFL season. Last week’s thrilling 47-42 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals showcased one of the best games of his young career — 20-of-34 passing for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
He also caught two passes for 22 yards, including a two-yard touchdown reception. With the Giants’ defense in disarray, expect Johnson to dial up trick plays. One will be another pass to his quarterback, resulting in Williams’ second career touchdown reception.
If the Giants had a better record, Brian Burns would be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. The edge rusher leads the NFL with 11 sacks entering Week 10 and has recorded at least one sack in four straight games.
This week, he’ll face a Bears offensive line that has allowed just 14 sacks in 2025. If New York has any chance of snapping its losing streak, it needs a dominant performance from its best defensive player. The 27-year-old will deliver his biggest play of the season — a strip-sack of Williams that he’ll recover and return for a touchdown.
Chicago ran the ball 37 times for 283 yards and two touchdowns in its win over Cincinnati. Now it faces a struggling Giants run defense allowing 150 yards per game, ranking 31st in the NFL.
Expect the Bears to attack on the ground with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who were both full participants at Thursday’s practice. Teams...
