Chicago Bears Know Your Opponent Week 8: The New York Jets

The Chicago Bears face probably the most important stretch of their young season over the next two weeks. Their second half schedule looks unforgiving.

That means their next two games that are considered highly winnable are even more crucial. Reaching the halfway point at 5-3 would be a big boost for this team and give them some momentum for the slew of divisional games they’ll play down the stretch in November and December. Five such games in total along with a showdown against the currently undefeated Los Angeles Rams. So yeah, these next two weeks are big.

First up is the New York Jets. Now the Bears can’t fool themselves into thinking this game should be a cakewalk. Not based on how they’ve played the past couple weeks, having lost to the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The Jets are 3-4 and feature a roster filled with intriguing talents on both offense and defense. Talents that can burn you if they’re not given proper respect.

Looking ahead to Sunday, there are a few things Bears fans will need to know about this opponent. Essentially what it’s identity is, how it can be defeated and how it can beat Chicago if those requirements aren’t met.

#1: A brash and aggressive young quarterback in Sam Darnold

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One thing is for sure. Sam Darnold has no fear. The #3 overall pick for the Jets has a world of talent with a big arm and a mentality to attack defenses down the field at every opportunity. Sometimes this creates some amazing plays, but it’s also gotten him into trouble. Though he’s averaging 12.5 yards per completion, he’s thrown 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In games where he’s been sacked three times this season, he’s 0-3 with three touchdowns and five interceptions.

#2: An opportunistic and attacking defense

Make no mistake. The Jets defense is not perfect. It’s 21st in the league against the pass and 14th against the run. One can’t call them a top tier unit. However, they are definitely aggressive and find ways to force turnovers. They’ve taken the ball away 15 times this season and love to blitz. The last number have them sending extra men on 30.3% of their pass rush calls. Todd Bowles is not a man to sit back and wait for an offense to make a mistake.

#3: A hot and cold running game

The Jets have been heavily dependent on their running game to find success this year. When they’ve rushed for over 100 yards this year, they are 3-1. They’re 0-3 when they fail to. There isn’t much of a middle ground with them either. The Jets had one game this season where they ran for 323 yards and then another game where they ran for 34. There’s just no telling which face they’ll show from one game to the next.

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