The New York Giants and Chicago Bears have never really been rivals. Even so, whenever the two teams get together the games tend to be physical and competitive. Nobody should expect anything different in Week 2 as the G-men return to Soldier Field for a rematch from last season. One is coming off a thrilling comeback victory. The other a deflating defeat.
Given the amount of uncertainty around both teams, it’s difficult to see any clear favorite. Normally the home team would have an advantage in this situation. Yet the Bears can’t claim one since Soldier Field will be empty due to COVID-19. That makes the assessment of this game more challenging.
So who has the advantage?
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New York Giants at Chicago Bears breakdown
Storylines:
The Bears pass rush – The Lions had a rookie right guard and a backup right tackle last Sunday. So for the Bears to sack Matthew Stafford just one time was a true eye-opening. Khalil Mack was still a presence but everybody besides him seemed too quiet. Is it a cause for concern? They’ll likely find out Sunday against another offensive line that struggled. Robert Quinn should be back so some answers will be had one way or the other.
Saquon Barkley – It was not the debut the Giants had in mind. Barkley was a non-factor against Pittsburgh. So one can imagine they’ll try to get him going in Chicago. The Bears were unusually generous to the 35-year old Adrian Peterson last week. Barkley represents an even bigger challenge. Which line will shore up their issues?
Injury news:
Golden Tate (hamstring) – Tate has always been a money receiver on 3rd down. It’s a big reason the Giants kept him around and he was missed quite a bit last week. Hamstring issues are difficult for receivers. He remains limited in practice and it’s not certain if he’ll be ready. If he is, the Bears will renew their acquaintance with an old headache.
Khalil Mack (knee) – This marks the second-straight week that the star Bears pass rusher appeared on the injury report with a knee issue. While he did play with it last week, it raises some concerns about the nature of just what it is he’s dealing with. Is this something that is going to nag him the entire year? Hopefully not because they need him at his best.
Key matchups:
Bilal Nichols vs. Nick Gates – The middle of the line of scrimmage will be big for both teams. New York is rolling with an unproven center in Gates while the Bears are trying out Nichols at nose tackle after Eddie Goldman opted out. Both players had ups and downs in the run game last week. Whoever is better able to correct what went wrong will determine the course of this matchup.
Jimmy Graham vs. Blake Martinez – One thing about Martinez during his days in Green Bay was his issues in coverage. Teams picked on him a lot. Last season alone QBs had a 102.1 passer rating when throwing in his direction. Graham is his former teammate and should know every single detail about how to attack the linebacker through the air. Athletically it’s a clear mismatch but can the Bears exploit it?
X-factors:
David Montgomery – Benny Snell, a former backup, ran through the Giants last week for 113 yards on just 19 carries. If he can give them such problems, then Montgomery could be another animal entirely. He averaged 4.92 yards per carry in the opener and broke five tackles on just 13 carries. If he gets similar blocking he got last week, New York is in for a long afternoon.
Evan Engram – The Bears saw something they didn’t like in Detroit and that was how weak their linebackers were in coverage. Especially Danny Trevathan. The Lions picked on him a lot with T.J. Hockenson going for 56 yards and a touchdown. Engram remains a favorable receiving weapon at tight end and could be a potential focal point to attack Trevathan over the middle.
Prediction: Bears win 24-20
It’s hard to gauge who the Bears are. They looked awful for three quarters in Detroit but showed great resilience and talent during their comeback. This is still a good football team. That said, they remain in search of their identity. Until that happens, most of their games will be tight, even against opponents they should beat handily. The Giants will give them a scare but they’ll pull it out again late.