Fresh off a trip to Kansas City for a Taylor-made beating at the hands of the Chiefs, the Chicago Bears return home to lick their wounds and prepare for a game against another AFC West team, the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton's squad is bruised and battered themselves, having been run ragged by the Miami Dolphins to the tune of, and I promise this is not a typo, 70-20.
Life in the NFL moves fast. It was only four weeks ago that fans of the Bears were full of hope, but less than a month later, the team's panic button is broken from being smashed so hard. If there's any hope at all of salvaging a season that already seems lost, it absolutely must begin this week.
Through three weeks, the Bears have been getting beaten in all facets of the game, but today we'll look at four matchups that they need to win to give themselves a chance. Let's start with a big one.
Justin Fields and Roschon Johnson vs. the Denver defensive line
The Broncos allowed 350 yards rushing last week to the Dolphins. Rookie De'Von Achane had 203 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 carries, while Raheem Mostert had 82 yards and three touchdowns of his own. The two backs also combined for three more touchdowns through the air, racking up 90 yards on 11 receptions.
There's no excuse for this Bears offense to be scoreless through the first half like they were against the Chiefs. The Dolphins embarrassed the Broncos with speed, and with Justin Fields and Roschon Johnson, the Bears have two weapons to exploit that.
Fields has yet to get going as a runner, tallying only 109 yards on the ground through three games, but his performance last year, when he rushed for over 1,100 yards, proves how effective he can be. He also has the opportunity to have his best passing game of the season, as the Broncos allowed 376 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
Johnson gets the nod in the Bears backfield over Khalil Herbert here, not only for his speed and quickness but for his receiving ability. He's been on the field for 74 plays this year compared to Herbert's 87, but if the Bears want the best chance to beat this Broncos defense, those usage numbers need to flip.