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Week 16: Bills at Bears Game Preview

| December 22nd, 2022


Let’s be honest, we’re going through the motions here.

Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears this Week?

I.

Always.

Like.

THE.

Chicago.

Bears.


A Thought on the Buffalo Bills

The Bills came into this season in an incredibly difficult spot. They were the universal choice to win the Super Bowl, many believing they should have won it all LAST year (including me). They had nothing to gain and everything to lose in this regular season. And through 15 weeks, they have had to both shoulder the burden of expectations and survive an onslaught of injuries at key positions, especially on defense.

And they have weathered all of it. It hasn’t always been pretty, but they now find themselves the top seed in the AFC with three games to play. Their schedule isn’t easy down this final stretch, with a Monday Night Football visit to Cincinnati in Week 17, but even facing the prospect of an AFC title game in KC, the Bills will likely be the Super Bowl favorite coming out of the regular season. And deservedly so.

With conditions expected to be difficult on Sunday, don’t expect it to bother Josh Allen and the Bills. Nothing bothers them. And when conditions are difficult, I’d expect the bigger effort to come from the better team with everything to play for.


Where Do the Bears Rank?

Offense:

  • Yards: 23rd
  • Points: 19th
  • Rushing yards per game: 1st (First in attempts)
  • Passing yards per game: 32nd (Last in attempts)

Notes: The ascendancy of the Bears offense is showing up statistically, and their path to increased improvement is clear. The Bears know they’ll be able to run the football in 2023. Every decision they make this off-season should be geared towards improving the passing game.

Defense: 

  • Yards: 22d
  • Points: 30th
  • Rushing yards allowed per game: 27th
  • Passing yards allowed per game: 9th

Notes: These numbers tell me something: the Bears are seriously improved at the back of this defense. If they focus on the defensive line, including the pass rush, they should be able to jump their overall defensive numbers into the top half of the league. If they do that, this is a playoff contender in 2023.


Christmas Song of the Week


Tomorrow: Game Prediction! (And the shortest prediction column in history, at that.)

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