NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears have a whopping 15 players listed on their final injury report of Week 9. Four players are ruled out due to injury, while two others will sit out while on the reserve/COVID-19 list. But ultimately, the show goes on. And the road to the postseason doesn’t get any easier.
Up next for the Bears is a Titans team that, like the Bears, is reeling. Tennessee enters Sunday’s game having lost back-to-back games, with the latest defeat coming at the hands of the Bengals. Seriously, the Bengals. And you thought losing to the Rams and Saints was tough to stomach!
So let’s try not to lose to a team that lost to the Bengals. Just saying.
Should the Bears pull off an upset, they’ll have to do so while playing short-handed. Chicago could start backups at five different positions. Three of which are on an already much maligned offensive line. It will take an all-hands-on-deck effort from everyone in blue-and-orange uniforms. And since I’m convinced the Bears are better when they’re overlooked underdogs, I’m ready to see how it plays out on Sunday.
“Never Tell Me The Odds”
The DraftKings SportsBook lists the Bears (5-3) as 6.5-point underdogs against the Titans (5-2). Over/under: 47.
Series History:
Series tied 6-6.
Game Time, Broadcast Info, Officiating Crew:
Location: Nissan Stadium; Nashville
Broadcast Info: Sunday, November 8 at noon CT on FOX (Dick Stockton, Greg Jennings, Laura Okmin), WBBM-AM 780 and WCFS-FM 105.9 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote), Sports USA (Larry Kahn)
Referee: Ron Torbert
Expected Starters and Lineups:
Bears Expected Starters:
Offense
• QB Nick Foles
• RB David Montgomery
• WRs Allen Robinson II, Darnell Mooney, Anthony Miller
• TE Jimmy Graham
• LT Charles Leno Jr., LG Rashad Coward, C Alex Bars, RG Germain Ifedi, RT Arlington Hambright
Defense
• DT Akiem Hicks, NT Bilal Nichols, DE Brent Urban
• OLBs Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn
• ILBs Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan
• CBs Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson
• FS Eddie Jackson
• SS Tashaun Gipson Sr.
Specialists
• Cairo Santos (kicker), Pat O’Donnell (punter, holder), Patrick Sales (long snapper), Cordarrelle Patterson (kick returns), Dwayne Harris (punt returns)
Titans Expected Starters:
• QB Ryan Tannehill
• RB Derrick Henry
• WRs A.J. Brown, Corey Davis
• TEs Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt
• LT Ty Sambrallo, LG Rodger Saffold, C Ben Jones, RG Nate Davis, RT Dennis Kelly
Defense
• LDE Jack Crawford, NT DaQuan Jones, DT Jeffrey Simmons
• OLBs Harold Landry, Derick Roberson
• ILBs Jayon Brown, Rashaan Evans
• CBs Chris Jackson, Malcolm Butler
• Ss Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro
Specialists
• Stephen Gostkowski (kicker), TBD (Brett Kern is OUT with an injury) (punter, holder), Ben Jones (long snappers), Kalif Raymond (kick and punt returns)
Three Bears …
Anthony Miller appears primed for a breakout against the Titans. Admittedly, I’ve felt this way before. But seeing that Tennessee has allowed big games to slot guys makes me feel like this is a real possibility for Miller. Tyler Boyd (6-67-1), JuJu Smith-Schuster (9-85-0), and Keenan Cole (6-58-1) are notable players who have taken advantage of preferable matchups. Miller, who is long overdue for a big game, should be next.
Khalil Mack has five sacks in his last four games. It would be malpractice if I didn’t highlight him as a player to watch when Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has been sacked five times in his last three games. Go get ’em, Mr. Mack!
Alex Bars projects to get get first crack at playing center in the absence of Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher, and James Daniels. How he gets snaps back to Nick Foles could play a big role in determining how Sunday’s game goes in Nashville.
HEADS UP to a major boost: https://t.co/s1Gx9sLWFR pic.twitter.com/ywV9G89Drr
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 7, 2020
