1.) Run the Ball
Justin Fields is rumored to be missing the game against the Jets which means Trevor Siemian would get the start. If the Bears want to win, they should continue to run the football. With Khalil Herbert out, they will have to get creative. Jet sweeps, more movement, and different packages for David Montgomery should all be a part of the game plan on Sunday. The Jets run defense is tough, only giving up four yards per run but the Bears have one of the best run offenses in the league. They should be up to the task and a good run game would go a long way for a Bears win.
2.) Scheme Around Injury
The Bears are missing a lot of important players this week, namely Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon, and probably Justin Fields. This is a huge blow to the team. I already touched on the offensive side of the ball but the defense is going to have a really tough time stopping Mike White and the Jets offense (no that’s not sarcasm). Alan Williams needs to whip up an amazing scheme for the game if they want a chance at stopping the offense. Without Fields on the offensive side scoring points, the defense needs to come up with stops. Using more zone coverage and more blitzes may help the defense create stops. The Bears already play mostly zone, but they rarely blitz. If they can get consistent pressure on the QB, they would have a much improved chance at stopping the Jets offense. If the Bears want to stay in this game, they will need to change the scheme up and play the strengths of their players.
3.) Convert Third Downs
The Bears turned themselves from bottom of the league in third-down conversion to top five in just a few weeks. Justin Fields was the biggest part of it, using his legs to scramble for third-downs multiple times a game. However, without him on the field, the Bears offense will find it much harder to convert third downs. If they want to stay in this game, they need to continue to convert third downs. Over the course of time that they got much better at converting third-downs, they also began scoring more points. I wrote an article that goes into more depth a few weeks ago, but the short of it is that the Bears are a better offense when they convert more third downs. If they want to beat the Jets, they need to continue to convert third-downs, even if it’s without Fields.
Momentum
The Bears have lost four games in a row and have lost many important players on both sides of the ball to injury this week. The Jets are having trouble with quarterback Zach Wilson, who was picked 2nd in the 2021 draft by the Jets. He was put under fire after denying the offense was the problem in their 10-3 loss to Patriots, and he has since been benched. Mike White will start for the Jets for the first time since 2021, when he had an impressive first couple games but regressed after that. This will probably be a low scoring, run-the-ball game. The Jets have home field advantage so they may have a better shot at a win.
