Following a Monday Night Football appearance to open their 2020 NFL season, the New York Giants are slotted to face off against the Bears in Chicago.
Last season, the Giants suffered a tight loss in November to the Bears by a score of 19-14. Daniel Jones failed to surpass 150 yards and Saquon Barkley was held to 59 yards rushing.
In 2020, the Bears appear to have taken a step back after the offseason cycle. In the midst of a quarterback controversy, the Bears could be New York’s best shot at an early victory.
Chicago Bears
Key Losses: LB Leonard Floyd, S Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Key free agent signings: DE Robert Quinn, QB Nick Foles (trade), TE Jimmy Graham, WR Ted Ginn, CB Artie Burns
Draft picks: TE Cole Kmet, CB Jaylon Johnson, DE Trevis Gipson, CB Kindle Vildor, WR Darnell Mooney, OT Arlington Hambright, G Lachavious Simmons
The Bears suffered a tremendous fall from grace after their infamous playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. Cody Parkey’s last-second doink was the catalyst for an underwhelming 2019 season. An 8-8 record and a third-place finish in the NFC North were well below the expectations of fans in Chicago.
Offensive struggles were the scapegoat for the Bears troubles last year, more specifically the man under center, Mitch Trubisky. In a glaring regression, Trubisky only threw for 17 touchdowns and 209 yards per game. The young quarterback’s troubles motivated the Bears front office to trade for Nick Foles for added competition. In this Week 2 matchup, Trubisky should be the likely starter.
A strong headline to watch in this matchup is will this game serve as the tipping point for a Trubisky benching? Last year was frustrating for Chicago offensively, and if Trubisky has two straight bad games to open the season it could be time for Foles to step in.
To bolster the firepower of the offense, the Bears added multiple new faces at tight end and receiver. Veteran Jimmy Graham is on the last legs of his career but is supported by a young Cole Kmet out of Notre Dame. They emphasized speed at receiver by signing Ted Ginn and drafting Tulane deep threat Darnell Mooney.
Defense is the strongest asset for Chicago, boasting a pass rush that features Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Roaming behind them at linebacker is the elite duo of Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith.
The young Giants offense will have to face a stacked defensive front seven in Week 2. Young tackle Andrew Thomas will have his hands full against the veteran prowess of Quinn or Mack.
If the new offensive scheme of Jason Garrett performs well, the Giants could be in prime position for a victory against the Bears. The young Giants defense could catch a break for the second straight year with the internal issues Chicago is handling. But will that all be enough for the Giants to come out of this game with a win?