Opponent Profile: Giants Cannot Get Caught In Bears' Trap
By Curt Macysyn
The New York Giants (6-3) are in the middle of a stretch of games that will decide their playoff fate. This week's opponent, the Chicago Bears (2-7), are in the midst of another losing campaign barring an incredible finish to their year. With this as the backdrop, New York needs to put Chicago away early in a must-win for Big Blue.
Bears on Offense
Fortunately for the New York Giants, the Chicago Bears find themselves in disarray once again. The Bears have a few players, but they do not have an offensive identity to speak of. They average only 15.6 points per game, second-worst in the NFL. To be fair, Chicago has had a spate of offensive injuries they have had to deal with. Quarterback Jay Cutler missed several games with a hand injury, but he is back at the helm. Cutler completes less than 60 percent of his passes and he has three touchdown passes on the year, but four interceptions. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer played well in Cutler's absence and it was unfortunate that he broke his forearm and ceded control of the offense back to Cutler.
The Bears lost wide receiver Kevin White for the season with a leg injury, while running back Jeremy Langford went down with a high ankle sprain. Jordan Howard replaced Langford at running back, and he has shown flashes of brilliance, including a 153-yard effort against the Green Bay Packers. Adding to the offensive misery is the loss of wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to NFL suspension this week for his use of performance enhancing drugs. Jeffery has 40 catches on the season and he leads the Bears with 630 receiving yards. He will miss the next four games, starting with the match against the Giants on Sunday. Tight end Zach Miller leads the team with 44 receptions.
Bear on Defense
Defensively, the Bears have some veteran brand names like Danny Trevathan, Pernell McPhee and Tracy Porter. Trevathan has 50 tackles on the season, while McPhee has only played in three games this season. However, in those three games he has two sacks. Meanwhile, rookie edge rusher Leonard Floyd has five sacks, while the man on the opposite side of the line, Willie Young, leads the team with 6.5 sacks this season.
The Bears have a young and effective pair of safeties in Harold Jones-Quartey and Adrian Amos. Amos has 42 tackles on the season, while Jones-Quartey has 49 tackles. The Bears have only five interceptions on the year.
Players to Watch: Jordan Howard and Leonard Floyd
With the inconsistent Jay Cutler as signal caller, the Bears may rely upon running back Jordan Howard to carry the offense. Howard has 605 rushing yards on the season in only six starts. He averages 5.3 yards per carry and Bears' coach John Fox would be wise to play ball control, especially with Alshon Jeffery on suspension.
The Giants have difficulty in pass protection with speed rushers and that defines Floyd quite well. There was chatter that the Giants were poised to draft Floyd this spring, but the Bears threw cold water on that idea. If Eli Manning has time to throw the football, he is prone to pick this defense apart, so Floyd may be the only solution that Chicago has.
Outlook
The Giants have shown an ability to win the tight games this season, but this game should not fall into that category. Head coach Ben McAdoo has his team focused and efficient, while the Bears have been just the opposite. The G-Men should win this contest going away in the friendly confines of MetLife Stadium.
