Each game week should come with a clean slate. But we don’t always abide by that. Certain things linger from one week to the next, and there’s always part of us looking to the future (especially in a year like this, in which so much of our football conversation has been about laying the groundwork for long-term sustained success).
But the first game of a new month does wonders in nudging us toward a slightly cleaner slate. And no one needs it more than Justin Fields.
So here we go: It’s is a new week and a new month. For Fields. For the Bears. And for all of us who watch him on a weekly basis.
Save for that woeful showing against the Bucs, October 2021 wasn’t awful for Fields. In the non-Bucs games, Fields went 58-for-91, threw for 668 yards, tossed 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but also had his first 100-yard rushing game as a quarterback. There were more moments of growth in that month than we have seen to this point of the 2022 season. But with 13 games left on the schedule, there are opportunities for Fields to take a developmental step (or two … or three).
What better place to take the first one than against the New York Giants in Week 4?
Game Info and Coverage Maps
Chicago Bears (2-1, T-1st NFC North) at New York Giants (2-1, T-2nd NFC East) – FOX (Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver); WBBM 780 AM, 105.9 FM (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote)
Kickoff time: Noon CT
Site: MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J.
Referee: Carl Cheffers
Odds: Bears -3 (-110), O/U 39 (via DraftKings Sports Book)
Game Thread (Week 4 Preview)
Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun. And, hopefully, we can do this for 13 more games (and playoffs?)!
Hype Video
Starting Quarterbacks and Projected Game Stats
BEARS: Justin Fields: 14/23, 159 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 8 carries, 43 rushing yards
vs.
GIANTS: Daniel Jones: 20/33, 226 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 6 carries, 33 rushing yards
Week 4 projected stats via ESPN projections
Bears Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Justin Fields
• RB Khalil Herbert
• WRs Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones Jr. (he’s back!)
• TE Cole Kmet
• LT Braxton Jones, LG Cody Whitehair, C Sam Mustipher, RG Lucas Patrick, RT Larry Borom
Defense
• LDE Al-Quadin Muhammad, LDT Angelo Blackson, RDT Justin Jones, RDE Robert Quinn
• SAM Nicholas Morrow, MIKE Joe Thomas, WILL Roquan Smith
• LCB Kindle Vildor, RCB Kyler Gordon
• FS Eddie Jackson, SS Jaquan Brisker
Specialists
• Michael Badgley (kicker, he’s new), Trenton Gill (punter, holder), Patrick Scales (long snapper), Trestan Ebner (kick returns), Dante Pettis (punt returns)
Giants Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Daniel Jones
• RB Saquon Barkley
• WRs Richie James, David Sills V
• TE Daniel Bellinger
• LT Andrew Thomas, LG Ben Bredeson, C Jon Feliciano, RG Mark Glowinski, RT Evan Neal
Defense
• LDE Azeez Ojulari, NT Dexter Lawrence, RDE Leonard Williams (ruled OUT on the injury report, per PFT)
• WLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, LILB Micah McFadden, RILB Tae Crowder, SLB Oshane Ximines
• LCB Adoree’ Jackson, RCB Aaron Robinson (Q)
• FS Xavier McKinney, SS Julian Love
Specialists
• Graham Gano (kicker), Jamie Gillan (punter, holder), Casey Kreiter (long snapper), Gary Brightwell, Richie James (kick and punt returns)