New York Giants vs Chicago Bears - NFL Week 2

Sunday
September 20, 2020
1:00 PM ET

Chicago, Illinois
Soldier Field

About the Giants

The Giants will be seeking their 1st win of the season after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. QB Daniel Jones Played well despite throwing 2 interceptions. WR Darius Slayton emerged with 102 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Slayton had 8 TD’s last year which was tied for the most among rookie WR’s. The Steelers defense had the “steel curtain” up against the Giants rushing attack and shut down RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley was held to a paltry 6 yards in 15 attempts as rookie LT Andrew Thomas and the offensive line struggled to open running lanes. The Giants' defense performed fairly well despite the loss. DE Leonard Williams had 4 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for loss. DT Dexter Lawrence totaled 3 tackles, 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss as the Giants defensive line appears to be the most dominant unit. Jones must make smart decisions with the football and not give the Bears defense easy interceptions to capitalize off of.

About the Bears

QB Mitchell Trubisky led a furious 4th quarter comeback against the Lions and silenced his critics for now as the Bears trailed 23-6 entering the final period. Trubisky threw 3 TD passes and earned his 5th consecutive career win against the Lions. Trubisky spread the ball around to several of his weapons to get back in the game. WR’s Anthony Miller, Allen Robinson, and TE Jimmy Graham all made huge plays down the stretch that impacted the outcome of the game. Trubisky joined former Bears QB Erik Kramer as the only Bears QB to lead a comeback after losing by 17-plus points entering the 4th quarter. The Bears should have similar success against the Giants as they struggled against the Steelers passing attack on Monday night. Trubisky should be able to get off to a fast start from the lack of a Giants pass rush. RB’s David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen ran the ball particularly well when they had their chances, but their opportunities were limited due to the Bears playing from behind. Both backs averaged at least 5 yards per carry. LB Khalil Mack should be more of a difference-maker against the Giants as he only recorded 2 tackles against the Lions.

Players to Watch

Saquon Barkley (Giants): Look for Barkley to try and get off to a quick start and setting the tone against the 27th ranked Bears defense.

Khalil Mack (Bears): Watch as Mack tries to keep Barkley from busting loose and having his way against the Bears defense after allowing 138 yards rushing to the Lions.

Impact Rookies

Darnay Holmes (Giants): Holmes recorded 2 tackles in his NFL debut against the Steelers. Holmes has good technique and footwork as well as a good understanding of WR’s route concepts. The Giants should feature him in the slot in nickel and dime packages.

Jaylon Johnson (Bears): Johnson had 5 tackles and 2 passes defended in his NFL debut and could be deployed against Slayton to try to keep him out of the end zone.

Key Statistic

According to NFL.com, Barkley rushed for -3 yards in the 1st half against the Steelers, the fewest by an RB with 9-plus carries in a single half since Bengals RB Rudi Johnson in Week 3 of 2007.

Prediction

The Bears improve to 2-0 as Trubisky continues to have the hot hand throwing multiple TD passes. Cohen and Montgomery get their fair amount of touches and have a field day against the Giants defense.

Final Score: Giants 10 / Bears 27