In order to avoid an 0-2 start to the 2019 season, the Denver Broncos will have to get past an angry Chicago Bears team hoping to avoid the same.
The Bears are coming off scoring just three points in the first game of the season where they were shut down by the Green Bay Packers at home. Now they must come to the Mile High City and face their former defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio.
For the Broncos to win this game, they will need to follow these keys to victory.
1. Get consistent pressure on the quarterback
The Packers defeated the Bears, but not because they lit up the scoreboard. The Packers’ defense was able to harass Mitchell Trubisky all game, forcing him into bad throws and throwing off his timing. The Packers also registered five sacks.
This is something the Broncos did not do last Monday night against the Oakland Raiders, allowing Derek Carr to pick them apart in the passing game.
Fangio needs to find a way to turn up the pressure on his old team.
2. Keep Cohen in check
Tarik Cohen is an exciting young running back for the Bears, but he’s most dangerous as a receiver. Last week against the Packers, he was a check-down option for Trubisky throughout the game, finishing with eight catches for 49 yards.
Part of the Bears’ game plan could be to match up their shifty scatback on one of Denver’s inside linebackers, a position of serious weakness for the team, to create big plays.
3. Win the battle of field position
This game figures to be a low-scoring, defensive battle and in those games, it’s usually the littlest things that matter most. The Broncos need to win the battle of field position to create easy scoring opportunities as moving the ball up and down against this Chicago defense doesn’t seem likely.
This comes down to things like forcing the Bears to punt from out of deep in their own territory or the Broncos downing a punt of their own inside the 5-yard line.
4. Keep extra players in to keep Mack off Flacco
Khalil Mack is a terror for any team to deal with, but particularly one that is not 100 percent on the offensive line.
Right tackle Ja’Wuan James is going to miss this game, forcing Elijah Wilkinson into a starting role. The Bears will come after the quarterback in this one and with Wilkinson and Garett Bolles at the tackle spots, things could get ugly.
The Broncos can’t line up in any empty sets in the backfield. Joe Flacco needs to have a running back in to pick up blocks and perhaps an extra tight end to chip and help out as well.
If the Bears get constant pressure in the backfield and either hit or sack Flacco multiple times, the Broncos will lose this game.
