The (2-1) New York Giants will look to rebound from their first loss of the season when they take on the (2-1) Chicago Bears on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
This will be the 55th meeting between these two storied NFL franchises, with the Bears leading the series 31-21-2.
These two teams are almost mirror images of one another as they both rely on playing great defense and use their running game as the focal point of their offenses.
It’s important for New York to come away with a victory on Sunday as they have tough games against the Packers and Ravens in the next two weeks.
Expect Sunday’s game to be a physical and hard-fought contest that will come down to the wire.
Here are three things the Giants must do in order to win.
Brian Daboll’s offense needs to get off to a fast start
The offense has stumbled out of the gates in all three games this season. The Giants have failed to score a touchdown in the first half of all three contests, and of the 56 points they’ve scored this season, only nine have come in the first half.
Head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka must find a way to get the offense off to a fast start. Perhaps we’ll see Daniel Jones take more shots downfield early in the game, or maybe they’ll draw up a trick play to catch Chicago off guard. Receiver Darius Slayton has barely seen the field this season, but he does have big play ability, and Sunday might be his time to shine.
An early touchdown would keep the home crowd energized and get the momentum of the game in Big Blue’s favor.
New York Giants must stop the run
The Bears’ offense is predicated on their ground game. Chicago is averaging 186.7 yards per game on the ground, which is second most in the NFL, only behind the Cleveland Browns.
With David Montgomery ruled out, look for running back Khalil Herbert to run the ball early and often on Sunday. His 240 rushing yards are the most on the team, and he’s averaging a whopping 7.3 yards per carry. New York must also be mindful of quarterback Justin Fields utilizing his legs, especially on third downs.
Against the Cowboys on Monday night, the Giants’ run defense was atrocious as they gave up 178 yards to the tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard on 28 carries.
With Leonard Williams missing his second straight game, it will be imperative for Dexter Lawrence to clog up the middle and for the linebackers to limit Herbert to minimal gains.
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Entire team must preach ball security on Sunday
Ball security and winning the turnover battle are two factors that are always preached by coaches heading into a game. But it will be emphasized even more in this matchup as rain is in the forecast. The Bears have experience in playing in adverse conditions as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 19-10 in monsoon-like conditions in Week 1.
Now it’s time to see how Brian Daboll’s team can handle the elements.
It’s not just Jones and Saquon Barkley that needs to be mindful of holding onto the ball, but the wide receivers and kick returners as well. All it takes is one fumble to give the momentum to Chicago.
New York’s defense failed to force a turnover on Monday, and it would behoove them to create some takeaways against Chicago. Bears quarterback Justin Fields has thrown four interceptions so far this season, so this would be the opportune time for Big Blue to come away with their first interception of the year. Or perhaps Kayvon Thibodeaux will get the first strip-sack of his NFL career. No matter what, winning the turnover battle is a must.
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Prediction
This game is set up to come down to the wire between these two evenly matched teams. Expect a defensive struggle with both offenses having difficulties moving the ball. Don’t be surprised if the Giants vs Bears matchup is decided by a late field goal from Mr. Reliable Graham Gano.
- Giants 19, Bears 17