1.) Create Turnovers/Stop the Run
As I highlighted last week, the Bears DB’s are young but very talented. The Seahawks lost Russell Wilson this offseason and are left with Drew Lock and Geno Smith. Both of those quarterbacks have a pretty poor track record as starters. If the Bears want to win this game, they have to come out of defense and take advantage of the weak offense. Putting the pressure on the passing will lead to Seattle trying to move the ball on the ground. That gives the defensive line the ability to shut down the run and get to the QB. With the unfortunate retirement of Chris Carson, who can hopefully avoid any serious health complications, the Seahwks are left with some inexperienced backs. The Bears should be able to fill the gaps in the Seahawks O-Line and completely stop the run
2.) Protect the Quarterback!
Justin Fields suffered way too many hits behind the line last season. Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham provided lots of new talent to the line in the offseason. With 4 rookie lineman, there will be plenty of different configurations of the line. No matter who is blocking, they need to keep Fields clean. When he has the time to throw he can deliver beautiful passes all over the field. Jamal Adams and Sidney Jones IV are the top DB’s for Seattle and Adams is known for his lack of coverage skill. If Fields stays upright in the backfield he can complete pass after pass and drive the ball down the field, leading the Bears to a win.
3.) Give Rookies Experience
As I said last week, this is still preseason. The Bears need to play their rookies and young players to give them the feel for a real NFL game. While it does not directly correspond to this game, giving the rookies major playing time will help the Bears win regular season games down the line. Especially Gordon and Brisker because they will be starting day one. If they aren’t accustomed to the speed and feel of a NFL game they could suffer from serious rookie mistakes(Which is really the worst thing but I think they are both more talented than making big rookie mistakes). Having Gordon and Brisker immediately contribute will make this team so much better and lead to many wins; this season and in the future.
