Chicago Bears Gameday: 3 Keys to Victory over the Los Angeles Chargers
By Peter Jurich
The Chicago Bears need to make the Chargers offense one dimensional
Despite their 2-4 record, the Chargers possess one of the most talented rosters in football, especially on the offensive side of the ball, where they are led by a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, a franchise tackle in Rashawn Slater, and a stable of dynamic playmakers like Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen. The wide receiver core will not be at 100%, with Mike Williams out for the remainder of the year and both Jaylen Guyton and Josh Palmer joining tight end Gerald Everett as questionable for Sunday night, but the Chargers will trot out a group of impressive players that should worry any defense in the NFL.
For the Bears to limit the Chargers' offensive production, the defense must take away the rushing attack and force Los Angeles to rely on the passing attack, where they can more easily mitigate specific players, mainly Keenan Allen, who should see a lot of double coverage and over the top safety help throughout the game. So far this season, the Chargers are ranked in the top eight of the league in terms of pass yards per game but are ranked middle of the pack in terms of rush yards per game.
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Forcing the Chargers to play to their offensive strength seems foolish, but if the defense as a whole can anticipate the passing attack, it will allow the players among the front seven of the defense to worry less about the rushing attack, letting them tee off on pass rush moves and coverage responsibilities that much quicker.
Even if the Chargers passed the ball on every play, the Bears would certainly have their hands full, but following a career outing versus the Raiders, there should be optimism in Jaylon Johnson potentially limiting Allen's production, as well as other receivers. The defensive secondary still has a number of questions for Chicago, including both Brisker and Eddie Jackson being labeled as questionable heading into the game, but even if the Bears need to turn to reserve players in the secondary, there are still several players who gained invaluable experience throughout the early parts of the season. If the Bears wish to win, it will be essential to practice good, complimentary football, and a stellar performance by a talented defense could allow the Bagent-led offense to get the job done.