The Bears were riding high on a four-game win streak before a loss to the Ravens and backup quarterback Snoop Huntley in Week 8 brought them down to Earth.
Losing to a backup hurts, and now there's a chance the Bears play a third-string quarterback in Cincinnati. Joe Flacco, who's been impressive in relief of Joe Burrow, is nursing a shoulder injury. If he can't play and the Bengals turn to Jake Browning, the Bears will hope to get back on track against a quarterback even further down the depth chart.
That said, no win comes easy in the NFL, and the Bengals boast one of the best wide receivers in the game in Ja'Marr Chase. Will the Bears make Week 8 a blip on their continued ascent under new head coach Ben Johnson, or will their slide continue back to .500? Our Bear Goggles On team weighs in:
Bear Goggles On Contributors Predictions
With a number of injuries at the skill positions on both offense and defense, the Bears may find it difficult to keep up with the high-flying Joe Flacco-led Bengals offense that has averaged just under 30 points per game since the veteran took over. The Bears may find success reestablishing the rushing attack and converting more red zone possessions into touchdowns, but they have few answers for receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins heading into Sunday.
Bengals: 31, Bears: 20
-Peter Jurich (0-1)
The Bengals offense comes in hot, but their defense is just as cold. A team that lost at home to Justin Fields and the New York Jets now has a banged up Joe Flacco and faces a better defense than what New York and Pittsburgh bring. The Bengals had a small spark on a prime time spot but this is a bad team and they will lose to Chicago.
Bears: 28, Bengals 24
-Parker Hurley (1-0)
This game can go either way. Both offenses are likely to score points and gain yards easily. The Bears must pressure Joe Flacco all day. He has shown the ability to escape and gain yards with his legs since joining the Bengals. The return of Tyrique Stevenson and the addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson will hopefully show better results facing Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Williams will throw for close to 300 yards and two TDs, while the Bears will continue to find success running the ball with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
Bears: 31, Bengals: 24
-Steven Negishi (0-1)
The Bengals are averaging 29.6 points per game since Flacco joined the team. He's thrown seven TDs in three games with no interceptions. Most importantly, Chase has exploded for 38 catches, 346 yards, and two scores with Flacco at the helm. He's a legit triple-crown threat this year, and even with the addition of Gardner-Johnson and the potential return of Tyrique Stevenson, it's too much firepower for the banged-up Bears defense. The Bengals win a shootout.
Bengals: 37, Bears: 27
-Alex Shapiro (1-0)
Read more: Bears coach got brutally honest about C.J. Gardner-Johnson's "energy" in games
Signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson was massive for this Bears team, but there will be an adjustment period that might not give him enough time to reach his full potential. The Bengals' pass offense has picked up with Joe Flacco at the helm. Covering guys like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are going to be tough for this Bears banged-up secondary. This game hinges on Caleb Williams working through his off-target issues and starting to establish himself as the franchise quarterback the Bears need. This will be a high-scoring affair, but the very, very slight edge goes to the Bears.
Bears: 30, Bengals: 27
- Anthony Miller (1-0)