The Chicago Bears had a great time beating up on the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. However, it will be a far bigger challenge this weekend. Not only must they go on the road to the west coast, but they’re dealing with a talented Los Angeles Chargers team headlined by an elite-caliber quarterback in Justin Herbert. He is a far different animal compared to Brian Hoyer. As efficient as Tyson Bagent was last week, it’s hard to imagine him playing lights out against a Chargers defense spearheaded by Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
It will take a complete team effort to pull off an upset of this magnitude. Thankfully it appears help is on the way. Nate Davis, Justin Fields, and Terell Smith remain out. However, two key names look set to return from injuries this weekend. Running back Roschon Johnson has practiced fully all week, meaning he should be back to help D’Onta Foreman fuel the ground game. Even more important is the situation with Eddie Jackson. The safety has battled an ongoing foot injury but practiced in full on Friday. Barring a setback, he should return. That will bring the Bears secondary back to full strength.
The Chicago Bears may have to win a different way.
Their identity over the past few weeks has been the classic one. They want to run the ball, use play action, and play solid defense. It’s worked well enough to earn wins over Washington and Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the Chargers may prove more challenging. Their quarterback is far superior to Hoyer and Sam Howell. So it’s a fair expectation he will put at least 21-24 points on the board. That means the offense must score to keep up. The problem is the L.A. defense is one of the better units against the run this year, ranking 10th in the league.
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If they have one glaring weakness, it’s ironically through the air. Despite having Bosa and Mack, they’re still 32nd against the pass this season. Two opponents have topped 400 yards passing against them. This means there could be opportunities for big plays down the field. The question is whether the Chicago Bears are willing to give Bagent the green light to take some shots. They managed to avoid it last week. Los Angeles may force their hand if Herbert gets them out to an early lead.
