Prediction, Three things to watch: Bears-Bengals |
At long last, the Caleb Williams Era will make its debut at Soldier Field as the Chicago Bears host the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday at 12 pm CT. This marks the first time the Bears will play in front of home fans this season after opening the preseason with two consecutive road games.
The Bears will look to continue business as usual, as there hasn't been much to complain about through two preseason games. Depending on how the Bears are willing to approach this, this could be considered the dress rehearsal, as next week is a short week for everyone. That means, this will likely be the final time we see Caleb Williams or any of the starters until week one, which may not be a bad idea if he looks ready for game action. Cincinnati is taking a different approach, as Zac Taylor announced that most of his starters will not be playing this week. That includes star QB Joe Burrow, who is hoping to get through another season without dealing with the injuries he dealt with a season ago. Here are some things to look for and a prediction for Week 3:
Although Soldier Field may be the smallest stadium in the NFL attendance-wise, it does have one of the best environments when the fans are behind this team. That hasn't been the case over the past few seasons, but can you blame them when you look at how the Bears were doing? If this season is anything like the offseason was for the Bears, get ready for plenty of excitement at Soldier Field this season. This fan base is not only hungry but desperate to win, and the Bears finally have a team capable of winning games consistently. Winning is contagious, and if the Bears show they can win, then the fans will come out in groves. Saturday is their first opportunity to show up and support this team, as the atmosphere should be electric.Home Cooking
Get Williams and the starters their work, but not too much
While the Bengals have made it known that most, if not all, of their starters, won't be suiting up this week, the Bears starters will, as this is considered the dress rehearsal for the regular season. As has been the case since the dawn of time, the second-to-last preseason game is where the starters play into the second half to get as many reps as possible heading into the regular season.
That is the objective for the Bears this week, as they want Williams and the offense to get as many in-game reps as possible this week, as well as the defense. The key to this game is to get as many mistakes out of the way as possible so you can play at or close to the way you will come in week one.
The other main goal is to get out of this game as healthy as possible. That is always the goal in every preseason game, but this one becomes all the more important. The longer Williams plays, the more likely he or any of the starters will get hurt, and the Bears can't afford to take that chance right now.
Pick your poison 😈 pic.twitter.com/dL0YpDuH3E
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 15, 2024
Will we see Montez Sweat on defense?
As good as the Bears defense has been this preseason, they have been doing it without a critical piece as Montez Sweat has been battling back from a nagging injury most of camp. Now that he is healthy, Sweat is still seeking his first game action this preseason, and what better time to do than now in front of the home fans?
When the Bears made the trade for Sweat last season and elected to resign him, the goal was to lock up one of the best pass rushers for the foreseeable future. They couldn't have expected him to do what he did last season, as he not only led the Bears in sacks despite playing just eight games but became the first player in NFL history to lead two teams in sacks during the same season.
Now set to enter his first full season in Chicago, Sweat is looking to make an even bigger impact, as his presence on the field instantly makes this team better. Sweat is one of those guys who can consistently get after the QB. When that happens, you are putting pressure on the opposing team, which makes them more prone to making mistakes.
You saw that a lot last season as the Bears led the NFL in interceptions and ranked in the top five in overall turnovers. They are hoping for that production from their defense again, and Sweat will play a part in that if he does what everyone expects him to do.
Prediction: BEAR DOWN
The Bengals are a very intriguing team this season and are considered a major wild card. From a talent side, the Bengals have one of the more talented rosters, which is why they have been a serious threat for the past few seasons. However, even with all that talent, they are an average team at best when Burrow isn't healthy, which was the case last season.
You have seen this over his brief career. When Burrow is healthy and available, the Bengals are arguably one of the two best teams in the AFC. When he isn't healthy, they struggle to win games and often find themselves out of the playoffs altogether. Not playing Burrow this week is more about keeping him healthy than getting him the reps, as the Bears use that to their advantage to pick up the 27-17 win.
🚨Saturday on @nflnetwork🚨
— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) August 16, 2024
12 Noon ET -- @NFLGameDay Kickoff w/ @RhettNFL @BaldyNFL @wyche89
1p ET -- @Bengals vs. @ChicagoBears
4p ET -- @Lions vs. @Chiefs
7p ET -- @BuffaloBills vs. @steelers
10p ET -- @dallascowboys vs. @Raiders
*Games subject to blackout pic.twitter.com/Tgj4ON4nSY
