An inside look at Sunday’s Jets-Bears Week 4 matchup in Chicago:
Marquee Matchup
Jets QB Geno Smith vs. Bears DC Dennis Allen
Smith enters the contest riding the momentum of perhaps the finest performance of his career. Against the Lions last week, he completed 83.8 percent of his passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns, delivering pinpoint throws and orchestrating an offense that hummed in rhythm with Garrett Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq.
“It’s been really, really good,” coach Aaron Glenn said of his collaboration with Smith. “I’ve talked about this several times—the maturation you’ve seen from him, from the time I first got a chance to be with him here to where he is now. Full understanding of the offense, full understanding of how defenses are trying to attack us, getting us in the right plays at the right time, setting the protection at the right time. Just seeing how he’s grown as a quarterback in this league has been outstanding. And the leadership qualities he has, the way he commands the huddle—being able to work with him in that aspect has been good.”
Allen shares a deep history with Glenn. The two were college teammates at Texas A&M, and Glenn served as an assistant coach with the Saints during Allen’s tenure as defensive coordinator.
Allen has the Bears defense performing at a high level following a shaky Week 1 against Carolina. They surrendered just nine points to the Vikings in Week 2 and seven to the Eagles last week, forcing three takeaways in the latter contest and six total on the season.
Four Downs
Who’s at Quarterback? The Bears have yet to name their starting quarterback for Sunday. Caleb Williams has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, but coach Ben Johnson declined to specify whether Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum will take the snaps against the Jets.
Bagent entered training camp as the No. 2 option but suffered a concussion and was unavailable last week against Philadelphia. That elevated Keenum to the starting role, and he responded with an efficient 24-of-34 effort for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
The Bears appear to be leaning toward Bagent, whom they hold in high regard, though the Jets have prepared for both possibilities throughout the week.
“Honestly, I feel really good about the whole room,” Johnson said. “I don’t know that there’s a bad choice or a wrong choice. We’re very, very fortunate that we’ve got guys that we believe in. The whole team believes. It’s not just the coaching staff. The whole team believes in everybody in that room. It’s one of those things that you can’t go wrong.”
Sadiq’s Emergence: Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq announced himself with a breakout performance against the Lions, hauling in seven receptions for 105 yards and an acrobatic vertical touchdown catch. With Adonai Mitchell, Breece Hall, and Mason Taylor all sidelined, Sadiq is poised for another featured role.
“We knew when A.G. and [general manager Darren Mougey] got him here in the building, we were very excited about that,” offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. “He’s got a unique talent set, as we’ve said, but it’s not just about talent—it’s about being a football player.”
Bears Ground Game: Chicago may have questions under center, but their rushing attack has left no doubt through three weeks. The Bears lead the NFL with 184.3 rushing yards per game, posting totals of 291, 134, and 128 yards in their first three contests.
D’Andre Swift paces the backfield with 54 carries for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Swift was limited in practice Thursday but is expected to play. Kyle Monangai, the former Rutgers standout, provides a complementary change of pace with 178 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries.
Offensive Line Woes: The Jets offensive line dominated in the Week 1 win over the Titans but has struggled to replicate that success. They have managed just 67 and 58 rushing yards in the past two games—both losses—and Smith has been sacked nine times over that span after going virtually untouched in the opener.
This week, the unit will be without starting left guard Dylan Parham. Jordan Meredith is expected to step in; Meredith was responsible for a protection breakdown on the strip-sack that effectively ended the Jets’ comeback hopes in Detroit. The absence of star running back Hall further complicates the ground-game outlook.
Costello’s Call
The Jets have knocked on the door of a signature victory the past two weeks. This week, they kick it open.
Facing a backup quarterback—whichever one the Bears deploy—the Jets must capitalize. Safety Dane Belton ends the interception drought with a pick-six, and Smith does enough to guide New York to a win.
Jets 27, Bears 20