By Tony Catalina, NEFJ Correspondent
Kickoff: Fresh off a second straight Bailey Zappe win, the New England Patriots come home to host a struggling Chicago Bears team on Monday Night Football.
According to reports, Mac Jones is expected to return from an ankle injury and make his first start in three weeks.
The last time these two teams squared off was on October 21st, 2018. A game in which the Patriots won 38-31. The Patriots own the all time series between the two franchises, 10-4.
First Down: Get after the Bears offensive line: This Bears offensive line isn’t a very good. They have issues on all phases but none may be a more glaring weakness than the guys up front blocking. QB Justin Fields finds himself running for his life a lot and it has been a challenge for him to get comfortable and find rhythm within the pocket thus far this year. If Matthew Judon and the rest of this Patriots Front seven is able to continue to get pressure it could be a long day for Fields once again.
Second down: Stop the run: The Chicago Bears run the ball more than anyone in the entire league with a rush rate at just under 59% of the time. When you can’t pass protect well, some would say the best way you can protect your quarterback is to run the ball, and that’s just what they’ve done. Like mentioned earlier, it will come down to the big guys up front but the Bears do have a formidable rushing duo of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. This Patriots defense is talented enough to snuff out any of this Bears offensive attack, but it’s imperative to mention the task at hand when you have a rookie quarterback playing.
Third down: Continue to protect the QB: The offensive line has played well of late and they will need to continue to play well tomorrow night. The Bears have a good pass rush that can get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They must find defensive end Robert Quinn and account for him. He is tough to deal with one on one.
Fourth down: Limit Justin Fields outside of the pocket: We mentioned that this Bears offense has had their struggles this season, but the one player who can be a game changer is QB Justin Fields and his ability to run. When a pocket collapses and a play breaks down, his athletic ability is able to get him out of trouble.
For Fields, running may be a gift and a curse as he tends to regress to his one read ways when under stress. If his initial target is covered, Fields may look to take off running. The Patriots pass rushers will have to keep that in mind and have their rush and lane integrity on point on Monday night.
Extra Point: Since Super Bowl XX, the Patriots have gone 8-1 in head to head match ups against Chicago. That is a remarkable statistic when you think about how dominate the Bears were during that season and in that game.
Final Drive: The Patriots are the better team and should take care of business tomorrow night. This is a winnable game and the Patriots need to win games like this do they can keep pace in the AFC playoff picture.