The resurgent Chicago Bears woke up after a dud of an outing against the Vikings in Week 6 to completely shut down the Raiders and superstar receiver Davante Adams en route to a Week 7 victory. They'll look to continue that momentum on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
But even as the Bears prepare to face off against Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense, I don’t think their defense is the most significant question mark looming over this game. Somehow, by strange design, coach Matt Eberflus has (sort of) figured out how to get Chicago's defense back on track. It was apparent against the Commanders and Raiders, along with flashes of positivity against the Broncos and Vikings (despite those games resulting in losses).
I am far from sold on Eberflus and still fully expect a coaching change by the end of the season. That said, it’s hard not to give credit where credit is due. The defense is coming off of a much-needed victory on home turf while stopping one of the best -- if not the best -- wide receivers in the league.
While the defense still needs to play with consistent aggression, they’ve proven that (when healthy) they can generate takeaways and force punts. So, the Week 8 “Matchup to Watch” is on the Bears' offense, and it shouldn't be a surprise.
Week 8 Matchup to Watch: Tyson Bagent vs. Joey Bosa
This week, it’s all about Tyson Bagent and the Chargers' pass rush. After delivering a very serviceable stat line in the Bears’ home victory against the Raiders, Bagent has been the talk of Chicago. Were his numbers impressive? Meh. Did Bagent manage the game? Absolutely.
It’s interesting to hear veteran and former quarterbacks compare Bagent and Justin Fields. We knew this was coming in the media, and minutes after the Bears won on Sunday, the talk had already begun. The interesting takes came from Kurt Warner and Chase Daniel via interviews on 670 the Score. Both Warner and Daniel seemed to acknowledge that the Bears will get explosive plays from Fields, something we haven't seen yet from Bagent, but that Bagent is more comfortable with the basics of running this offense.
And that could very well be the difference in this week's game.
The Chargers’ defense is struggling. Badly. Khalil Mack doesn’t want to talk about it and with a roster of names that once screamed “WOW,” I can’t really blame him. I’m not sure many people can explain why Los Angeles' defense has been so bad.
As a result, the Bears just have to run a competent offense Sunday night. That's it. This Chargers team can be worn down. Death by a thousand papercuts. That sort of thing.
Joey Bosa, in particular, is a challenging threat off of the edge. He gave Patrick Mahomes quite a few scares in Week 7. He's one of the best defensive ends in the NFL, and he's looking for his first sack since September 24th.
If Fields were active, I’d say it’s likely Bosa notches that. That’s not a knock on Fields, but again, Fields sacrifices awareness for big-time plays.
I think Bagent showed poise in the pocket against the Raiders, and his awareness may make it difficult for Bosa to get home.
This Bagent/Bosa matchup is low-key the deciding factor of the game. If Bosa gets to Bagent early on, the Bears lose. If Bagent can escape the pass rush and move the ball downfield, don’t be surprised if the Bears make the game more competitive than the oddsmakers predict.
Bagent must show some variety in his skillset while avoiding Bosa. The run game was great against the Raiders, but the Bears have to throw the ball downfield to get a win against the Chargers. Read the field, get the ball to DJ Moore (quickly), take some shots to Darnell Mooney, and get Cole Kmet in the mix. Timing will be everything on Bagent’s throws, as that clock will tick fast before Bosa is in his face. Literally.
The Chargers' record may not look great, but they have had some hard-fought games in 2023. Bosa wants to get back in the sack column, while Bagent has a chance to shock the NFL universe by beginning his career 2-0 as a starter.
One of those will happen Sunday night, and since I love a good underdog story, let’s give Bagent the slight edge here. I’m riding high on two wins in three weeks.
