The Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars were victorious on their home fields in week 5. The Bears handled business at Soldier Field in a 36-10 rout of the Carolina Panthers in a game they were favored to win by four. The Jaguars eked out their first win of the season versus the Indianapolis Colts 37-34 on a 49-yard field goal with 0:17 remaining, in a game the Jags were favored to win by three. These two teams face off on Sunday in London.
Jaguars Pass Defense Is Last
After five games, the Jacksonville Jaguars rank dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, averaging 287.8 yards and two touchdowns given up. That’s welcome news for the Chicago Bears’ blossoming passing attack which went off for 296 total yards and two touchdowns last week against the Panthers. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams was only sacked once for eight yards in that game, had his career-best passer rating of 126.2, and completed almost 69% of his passes.
The Jaguars’ pass rush averages 2.2 sacks per game, well below the average of 3.4 sacks allowed by the Chicago Bears offense. This bodes well for the Chicago Bears offensive line which has played much better as of late, however, they do have some injury concerns with starting Left Guard Teven Jenkins. Jenkins has left games early the past two weeks due to injuries to his ribs in week 4 and his ankle in week 5. Backup OL Bill Murray (no, not that Bill Murray) filled in admirably last week, and the offense didn’t miss a beat. The same could be repeated against the Jaguars if Jenkins is to miss this start.
Bears Receivers Will Feast
The Chicago Bears pass catchers should have a field day against the Jaguars secondary, as they have not had a single interception through five games and have given up 10 passing touchdowns. The Chicago Bears defense has six interceptions and only two passing touchdowns allowed in that span. This means another big game is in the cards for Bears WR DJ Moore and a possible resurgence of rookie WR Rome Odunze who hasn’t done much since his breakout game in week 3 against the Colts.
One of the Jaguars’ best defensive players, LB Foyesade Oluokun, went on IR after week 4. This makes the middle of the field more susceptible to exploitation in the passing game for slot receivers like Keenan Allen and TE Cole Kmet for the Chicago Bears. Oluokun’s absence makes running the ball up the gut more possible and screen passes to RB D’Andre Swift, who has put together massive performances in back-to-back home games. London should also be kind to the Bears, they are listed as the “home” team for this game.
Final Thoughts
Chicago Bears Wide Receiver Keenan Allen didn’t fill up the stat sheet in his first healthy game of the season against the Panthers. His mere presence on the field running routes drew coverage away from other Bears pass catchers and gave Williams an extra confidence boost. The game against the Jaguars in the UK will be a grand opportunity for Keenan and Caleb to hook up for their first touchdown. The rest of the Bears playmakers should see ample opportunity and set the stage for what’s in store for the remainder of the season, as the Chicago Bears head into their bye in week 7.
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