Bears and Giants Mirror Images?

The Bears own several matchup advantages against the Giants in a battle between two 2-1 teams few are taking seriously.

It's not likely to look anything like the last Bears and Giants game at Soldier Field.

Two teams with completely different rosters face each other and there isn't even a Mike Glennon for the Bears to take their frustrations out on anymore.

The Bears and Giants are two 2-1 teams few will take seriously until they start to show they can overcome some obvious flaws, and they seem to have some in similar areas.

The Giants haven't been able to pass the ball but with Saquon Barkley they definitely are a running threat. Ranked 30th in passing, one of the few teams the Giants can look down at here is the Bears, who are last but are second in rushing.

However, New York's injury problems and early season adjustment to a new offense under Brian Daboll and in a new defense under Wink Martindale have led to issues in some areas.

It's not totally unlike the Bears' situation, where the talent doesn't quite fit the scheme at this point.

As a result, there are only a few real mismatches favoring either team in what looks like a close matchup.

Based on performances to date, here are the position battles favoring the Bears.

Bears DE Trevis Gipson vs. Giants RT Evan Neal

Neal is the seventh pick in this year's draft, a 6-foot-7, 350-pound rookie from Alabama who has clearly struggled through three games. He has allowed four sacks and Pro Football Focus tracks him at 10 pressures allowed. His run blocking has been even worse, as he has a 37.3 PFF grade in the running attack but 48.5 as a pass blocker. Neal did have an excellent run-blocking game against Dallas Monday night with a 76.4 PFF grade but his pass blocking was scored at 27.3. Gipson did not get the starting assignment this year but rotates in regularly and is the best Bears pass rusher this season with two sacks, an area coach Matt Eberflus says they need to improve. Al-Quadin Muhammad will start and Gipson, who is about 13 pounds heavier than Muhammad, will get about the same number of snaps. Gipson has four pressures and two sacks.

Bears TE Cole Kmet vs. Giants LB Tae Crowder

Kmet started to come out of a receiving slump last week with his first two catches of the year, including a 24-yarder. He hasn't been inactive, though, as he has been effective blocking in the run game at times. Giants linebacker Tae Crowder is graded by PFF as the 77th best linebacker so far out of 78 graded in the NFL, with a 29.1 score. He has been at his worst against the run but not much better against the pass with a TD allowed when targeted. The Giants have had trouble at linebacker, as former Bears linebacker Austin Calitro has been nearly as poorly graded as Crowder, at 29.6, and No. 76 in the league by PFF.

Bears LG Cody Whitehair vs. Giants DT Nick Williams

Potentially disruptive Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams has missed practice this week after missing Monday night's game due to a knee injury and former Bears defensive lineman Nick Williams is the likely replacement starter. Nick Williams had a strong 2019 season with the Bears and left as a free agent for Detroit but never accomplished much with the Lions. He has always been a better fit in a 3-4 base defense like the Giants use, but they rarely seem to be in the 3-4. PFF gives Williams a 48.9 pass rush grade and 54.5 overall mark so far. Whitehair started slow but has come on strong and has the highest overall PFF grade among Bears offensive linemen at 71.1. He had a line-best 85.3 grade against the Texans. This advantage the Bears enjoy vanishes if Leonard Williams is over his knee injury because he's a borderline Pro Bowl-level player.  

Bears DT Justin Jones vs. Giants LG Ben Bredeson

For Jones, it had been slow-go in his first two games after signing with the Bears and leaving the L.A. Chargers, but in Week 3 he sprang to life with his first Bears sack and first two quarterback hits. Jones' quickness in the run game can be used against him here if he isn't careful because running back Saquon Barkley can take advantage of lost gap integrity or bubbles that develop along the line due to penetration. Bredeson is a former Ravens lineman who was acquired by trade after his first season. He had made only one start before this season. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder has not allowed a sack but PFF grades him 61st out of 71 guards it has scores on in the NFL this year.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven