The Chicago Bears (3-4) will face the Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) determined to find a win to salvage any slim chances of a playoff push.
To do that, they’re going to need contributions from all phases, something that they didn’t get last week in a 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers (3-5).
The offense finally found a commitment to the run game, which resulted in the unit’s best production from a ground-game standpoint as David Montgomery rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries. But in the redzone, the offense stumbled. They couldn’t take advantage of their many opportunities, which ultimately cost them the game.
Could this be the week that they do?
Here are four bold predictions for the Bears’ Week 9 contest versus the Eagles.
1. David Montgomery gets 30-plus carries, 100-plus yards rushing
Call me optimistic at least in one regard about this Bears offense. Rookie running back David Montgomery showed what he’s capable of in the run game when a game plan is focused on getting him the ball. Which means that against the Eagles, we should see more of the same. Hopefully.
Last week against the Chargers, Montgomery had 27 carries for 135 yards, his first 100-yard game. And I’m going as far to say that he’s going to get his second-career 100-yard rushing game against a stout Eagles run defense.
Not only that, but the Bears will get him the ball even more than last week. Which could be a combination of committing to the run and hopefully getting a lead and running the clock down.
2. Bears offense goes perfect in the redzone
Just as the Bears offense seemed to fix one glaring issue in the run game last week, a new issue arose with inefficiency in the redzone, particularly with goal-to-go situations.
After another week of self-reflection, I’d imagine there has been a greater emphasis on taking advantage of those opportunities, especially on goal-to-go. Whatever struggles await the offense this week, I believe they’ll take advantage of those goal-to-goal situations and score touchdowns on every opportunity they get within the 10-yard line.
Now, if we wanted to go really bold, how about the offense scores touchdowns on all of those redzone opportunities?
3. Eddie Jackson nabs first interception of season — a pick-six
Eddie Jackson has had a quiet season, and it almost feels like he’s due for a breakout. Because if not now, when? There’s no better time than against the Eagles, where the Bears desperately need a win.
Last season, Jackson had a career-high six interceptions, as well as two touchdowns. This season, he hasn’t managed one. It’s that play-making ability that the Bears need with a struggling offense that’s too reliant on the defense to bail them out.
But this is the week. This is the week that Jackson finally gets his first interception of the season, which will hopefully lead to more. Not only will Jackson get the pick, he’ll return it for a touchdown in what should be a game-changing moment.
4. Eddy Pineiro hits game-winning field goal vs. Eagles
Picking the Bears to win a game feels like a bold prediction at this point. But to take it a step further, how about Eddy Pineiro nailing the game-winning field goal? Unlike last week. And unlike his predecessor against this very team.
Pineiro already has the fact that he’s not kicking at Soldier Field going for him, considering he missed two last week in Chicago as he struggled with the windy conditions. Pineiro has connected on 12-of-15 field goals this season (80 percent).
Matt Nagy always talks about wanting to see how his players respond to adversity. Considering the controversy that has surrounded Pineiro over these past few days about the position of the ball, what Pineiro really needs is a clean game — and to remember that he’s hit a game-winner before.
