By Mason Sousa, NEFJ Contributor
Let’s not beat around the bush.
The Bears stink. There’s no sugarcoating it. The Chicago passing game is equivalent to some high school football programs across New England (no offense to the fine schools in the area). Bears QB Justin Fields is wildly inaccurate having the worst completion percentage in the league and his offensive line doesn’t do him any favors as he is sacked the most in the league as well. As for the defensive side of the ball, it’ll be the 3rd straight game the Patriots play against a really poor run defense where they are bottom-5 in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns allowed.
However their own rushing attack can be explosive. Khalil Herbert is the only running back that has played all 6 games this season and is averaging over 6 yards a carry. David Montgomery is the starter and is solid. He has games where he blows up for 150 yards and others where he’s a non-factor. While the majority of games are of an above average running back. And the Quarterback Justin Fields can run which is what he does best. He’s no Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen in the open field but he’s a factor when he scrambles… which is often. Fields is averaging 9 rush attempts for 47 yards a game.
While they have 3 talented ball carriers when it comes to punching it in the endzone the Bears are dreadful. 15.5 points per game is good for 2nd worst in the league only behind the Houston Texans. As mentioned above, the passing game is absolutely brutal to watch. The Bears are a one-dimensional team and its honestly shocking they have a win never-mind two through 6 games. The Patriots defense must be SALIVATING. They get to have a glorified scrimmage on Monday Night Football.
Truly the only pass catcher to be somewhat intimidated of is wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Mooney has shown signs that he can be a superstar in this league. Although, I also thought the same about Allen Robinson while his career was being withered away in Chicago as well and it seems like that isn’t the case. But anyway, Mooney has had some ridiculous acrobatic receptions this year. The crazy thing is he only has 17 receptions on the season through 6 games. The even crazier thing is… he leads the team in receptions!
The Bears passing offense is next to nonexistent. So it will be a shock to absolutely no one that Chicago is dead last in passing yards per game with only 145 yards.
The way the Bears move the ball and attempt to score points is by having Justin Fields, David Montgomery, and Khalil Herbert run the ball. The team is 2nd in rush yards a game with 170 yards per contest. But because their passing game is so dreadful they still are 27th in the league in total yards per game.
Maybe N’Keal Harry making his long awaited return to New England will be the secret sauce for Chicago??
Anyone? Bueller?
Patriots fans will always remember Harry. The highest wide receiver draft selection that Bill Belichick has ever taken who unfortunately has had very minimal success as a professional. If anyone is going to have a revenge game N’Keal Harry is definitely a candidate for one. Not that the Patriots did him dirty, he got many chances, “everybody tried, it just didn’t work out” as Bill Belichick briefly mentioned when asking about Harry’s potential return to the field in Foxboro. Do I expect Harry to do much if made active? I’ll give you a resounding, no.
The two defensive players to keep an eye on are middle linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive lineman Robert Quinn. Smith leads the league in tackles currently and has been one of the elite tacklers in the league since his rookie year in 2018. I believe Rhamondre Stevenson left some yards out there against the Browns last week and will have a chance to redeem himself against Smith and the Bears on primetime television. As for Robert Quinn, Bill Belichick called him “one of the greatest defensive linemen of this era” which is incredibly high praise as Nicholas Cage would say. He definitely was a wrecking machine last year having his 2nd best season of his career at 31 years old racking up 18.5 sacks, the best in the NFC a season ago. Quinn has started the 2022 season slow though with only 1 sack through the first 6 games, no Khalil Mack to garner attention may have something to do with that. The Patriots offensive line has been rock steady the last few weeks and it will be a collective effort to slow Quinn’s role.
Barring an absolute defensive calamity by the Patriots. The Bears will not win this game. I guarantee it. Fields would have to connect deep with his receivers multiple times on Monday night which as mentioned before he is the least accurate QB in the NFL and his o-line doesn’t give him enough time to boot. How fitting that Bill Belichick will pass Papa Bear George Halas for 2nd most wins as a NFL coach by beating the legend’s team he coached for 40 years on national TV nonetheless.
While Patriots QB Mac Jones “expects to be available” Monday night according to Mike Reiss, and “there is no QB controversy” according to Jeff Howe that doesn’t mean he starts against the Bears or is even made active. Bill Belichick doesn’t live in expectations and hypotheticals. Mac Jones is still, by all accounts, coming off a high ankle sprain and has entered the expected return timeline of 4-6 weeks, but just barely. If I was given the decision I would give Bailey Zappe the start one more time so there is no doubt Jones is healthy when he finally gets in a game again. But at the same time, whoever is playing QB for the Patriots should not be the deciding factor in getting a win on Monday Night Football.
BOLD PREDICTION:
Matthew Judon tallies a career high 3.5 sacks.
The Patriots will get ahead early forcing Fields to throw more than he has so far this season and by doing so that gives Judon more opportunity to be a gamebreaker in the backfield.
And not for nothing but the fear offenses have in Judon has opened the door for Deatrich Wise on the other end of the line to break out as a pass rusher. Wise has 5 sacks already so far this season. 👀
GAME PREDICTION:
Whether it be the returning Mac Jones, the hot Bailey Zappe or Bill Belichick himself going for win 325, the Patriots should absolutely win this game. Everything about these two teams when it comes to talent and freaking destiny says this will be a laugher as the Patriots destroy the Bears. We as a nation will question, once again, the point of watching primetime NFL games desperately hoping to find high quality competitive games. Maybe it will be appointment viewing only for serendipitous moments like Bill Belichick passing a legendary coach in wins by beating the team the legend coached for the world to see. FINAL SCORE: PATRIOTS 30 BEARS 6