The Chicago Bears (4-2) are on the road again in Week 8, facing off against the Baltimore Ravens (1-5) in a pivotal inter-conference matchup. In a game perhaps highlighted more by who will not be playing than by who will, the Bears have to stay sharp against a Ravens squad desperate to get their season back on track.
The game's combined injury report is as long as a CVS receipt, and notable players expected to miss Sunday's battle include Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and several Bears starters like tight end Cole Kmet and cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson. Read below to learn the three things that the rest of this Bears roster must do on Sunday to extend their winning streak to five games:
Be more efficient in the passing game
Despite their current winning streak, the past few games have been a little sloppy for the Bears' passing attack.
Granted, both of their most recent games were heavily impacted by rain during or leading up to the bout, but Caleb Williams and company have struggled to match some of their early successes throughout the season. After four straight 200+ yard outings, Williams finished with his lowest total of the season last weekend versus the Saints. Baltimore's defense, on the other hand, has allowed 246.5 passing yards per game, the fifth-highest mark in the league. On Sunday, the Ravens defense will be as healthy as it has been this year, but it is still a unit that has struggled to stop strong passing attacks.
The other side of the Bears' woes through the air has been their dedication to the ground attack since coming out of the bye. The team's average rushing yards per game over their two post-bye week contests was about 183. In the two wins prior to the bye, that number was closer to 78. The Bears will likely look to continue moving the ball on the ground while trying to get Williams back into the rhythm and flow of the offense. Over just the current four-game win streak, Williams has completed nearly 61% of his attempts, the 28th highest mark of the year.
Finish in the end zone
The Bears offense is one of a dozen units in the league that converts red zone opportunities into touchdowns at a 50% clip or worse.
In their past two wins, the Bears have kept games closer than they needed to be because they have been willing to settle for three instead of six. Against Washington, the Bears dominated the first quarter, forcing two turnovers on both of the Commanders' drives while scoring on both of their own possessions. Since neither score was a touchdown, however, the Bears only had a one-possession lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bears similarly settled for four field goals against the Saints, which ultimately helped the road team keep the game closer than it felt. Against a talented roster like the Ravens, the Bears must be sure to finish drives in the end zone, especially after executing long drives that get to the red zone. If not, it may prove to be difficult to keep the Ravens down if they are scoring six while the Bears are just scoring three.
Generate pressure without blitzing
Chicago's secondary is about as thin as it can get right now, with all three of their week one starting cornerbacks -- Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon -- set to miss the game.
Fortunately for the defensive backfield, Baltimore will be without quarterback Lamar Jackson, the league's backup, who would certainly punish the Bears' backup defenders downfield. Still, this rag-tag group will have its work cut out for it against Baltimore's talented stable of pass-catchers. For Dennis Allen's group, the best way to help out the secondary would be by generating pressure up front without having to send extra bodies.
Read more: Is Cole Kmet playing today? Full injury update for Bears TE in Week 8
Getting to the quarterback has been a problem for the Bears all season. The team enters the week as one of a dozen squads that average two sacks or fewer per game, and just 75% of those have come from the defensive line. The reserve defensive backs who find themselves in Sunday's game would surely benefit from a more dominant pass rush, and if the defense can do so without sending extra bodies, it will only help the coverage downfield.