No Tanking Zone for Bears and Giants

Most late-season games between losing teams can be viewed as "tank-fests" but not this Bears game at Soldier Field against the Giants, and the Bears can win it with the three keys to the game.

Losing teams who tank during the final weeks normally becomes a real or perceived problem throughout the NFL.

The Bears and Giants game Sunday at Soldier Field will be called a stinker of a game by the national media and a potential one for tanking, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

There is actually more incentive to win this one than in most games between downtrodden teams.

For the Bears, there is this desire to show they haven't quit. If they show this, there is always the thought they may give ownership second thoughts on firing the coaching staff. At least it's a popular notion among the staff and players, but reality is winning three games against weaker teams at season's end probably won't persuade anyone. By now, the wheels of change have to already be in motion behind the scenes at Halas Hall.

There are personal goals like Robert Quinn's pursuit of the Bears sacks record, or Darnell Mooney trying to reach 1,000 yards. They better do it this week because doing it during the 17th game invites asterisks. 

Richard Dent's record came in a 16-game season but before anyone starts getting an asterisk out consider that Quinn missed a game this year due to injury. So if he gets the record against Minnesota in the finale, it's a record achieved in 16 games. Dent played in all 16 Bears games in 1984.

People should already be impressed by Mooney getting over 800 yards in 15 games. Considering the three-ringed circus the Bears quarterback show has become, Mooney needs no fourth digit on his yardage total to certify his strong second season.

The biggest irony is tanking here helps no one and, in fact, the Giants actually benefit by beating the Bears. This is a rarity for losing teams at season's end. 

Because they own the Bears' first-round pick in the next draft from when they moved down so Chicago could select Justin Fields, the Giants can benefit with each loss the Bears suffer. The farther down the ladder the Bears fall, the better the pick for New York. 

Currently that pick is No. 8 overall thanks to the Bears beating Seattle. But that pick could still go as low as third if the Bears lose both games and any number of unlikely other things happen. The Giants can help make this so by beating the Bears.

All of this said, nothing of real importance matters for the Bears until the season ends and firings begin.

Here are the three keys to a victory no one really cares much about except for these two teams.

1. Intense Interior Pass Rush

If Akiem Hicks has a rapid, late-week COVID recovery, the Bears could walk away with this win. If Bilal Nichols continues the late-season contract push he has had, it could occur too. If Mario Edwards Jr. resembled the player he was last year before the Bears dumped an $11.6 million deal on his lap, it could also help. Assuming Mike Glennon gets most of the playing time at quarterback for the Giants, the push needs to come from interior linemen. As Bears fans recall well, Glennon has no mobility or athleticism and a rush inside forces him to move laterally, which he is entirely unable to do. He can't run laterally and throw. He has to have time to sprintout, turn his body, square up and throw. The Giants will be using plenty of stick routes and quicker pass plays to avoid the outside rush from Quinn, and it won't have time to get home unless they get well ahead and force New York into an obvious passing situation. Own the interior pass rush in this one and Glennon is defeated. When the Bears played Jacksonville last year, they didn't immediately do this and Glennon hurt them with the quick passing game, until they picked him off a few times. 

2. Take Saquon Barkley Seriously

It's safe to anticipate Barkley wants to have a big game at the place where his demise occurred. He tore his ACL in last year's second game against the Bears at Soldier Field when driven down near the sidelines by Eddie Jackson. It's been a tedious road back for Barkley, who has averages a scant 3.5 yards a carry. He has a 54-yard run to his credit and without it he'd be averaging 3.1 yards a carry. He's also at a career-worst 6.4 yards per catch, though his hands are still good at a 73.1% catch rate. Barkley can't erase what a long battle he's had but you can bet he'll feel a lot better if he can put one on the team that did this to him.

3. Turnover Free

If the Bears didn't realize the importance of turnovers, they should now after winning in Seattle when they didn't turn it over. Being minus-13 this year in turnover ratio and next to last in the NFL in this critical category pretty much describes why they are 5-10. But Patrick Graham's Giants defense isn't like the Chicago defense. The Giants actually take away the football. They've done it 20 times while only two teams have made fewer takeaways than the Bears (12). The Giants defense just can't keep up with their own offense, which has turned it over 23 times. Sloppy Bears quarterback or receiver play will give cornerback James Bradberry and safety Xavier McKinney chances to pad their pick totals. McKinney has five interceptions, one less than the entire Bears defense. The Giants are a 4-11 team that shouldn't be able to keep up with the Bears in a road game unless there are turnovers involved. 

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven


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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.