Bears vs. Colts: Reasons for optimism for Chicago in Week 3

The Chicago Bears (1-1) have a chance to get back on track and get their second win of the season this weekend as they head to Indianapolis to face the Colts (0-2) in Week 3. After a disastrous second half in the prime-time spotlight against the Houston Texans (2-0) last Sunday night, the offense will look to find some consistency and have a great opportunity to do so.

After the Colts fell on the road to the Green Bay Packers (1-1), who were starting Malik Willis in place of injured quarterback Jordan Love, there should be reason for optimism for the Bears. Both teams are looking to bounce back and get in the victory column, and the Colts are looking for the first win of the 2024 season.

With each team searching for their respective answers, here are reasons for optimism for the Bears heading into Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

1. Colts' horrid run defense

This is not a typo: The Colts have allowed 474 total rushing yards in two games. That could be a fantastic opportunity for the Bears rushing attack, led by D'Andre Swift, to find their mark finally. Swift has totaled 48 yards rushing to begin the season, averaging 2.0 yards per carry, and while most of the struggles can be put on the offensive line, there has to be better production no matter what. A good rushing attack could lead to many more openings in the passing game, and the Bears offense could look a lot different than the first two weeks.

The Colts have faced Josh Jacobs and Joe Mixon in the first two games, and Swift may not be in the same category, but he's not far off. It's not just Swift, however, as the Bears may have the opportunity to deploy all three of their running backs in Swift, Khalil Herbert (who scored Chicago's only touchdown this season) and Roschon Johnson.

2. Jaylon Johnson vs. Anthony Richardson's aggressiveness

Per ESPN, the Bears have allowed a league-high 12 explosive pass completions, which would seem to fit the style of quarterback Anthony Richardson. The second-year quarterback is averaging 13.7 air yards per attempt but is completing less than 50% of his passes on the season. Taking chances may mean the opportunity for turnovers for the Bears defense, which has been outstanding in the first two games, including getting four takeaways so far on the year.

Bears' top cornerback Jaylon Johnson has just 0.3 yards per coverage snap allowed, according to ESPN's NextGen Stats, so he quite simply smothers the opposition. If Richardson decides to test Johnson, or really any of the Bears' secondary downfield, there could be plenty of opportunities to add to their takeaway total on the season. If the game becomes one where Indianapolis is behind, and Richardson needs to take chances, Johnson could grab his first interception of the season joining his running mate, Tyrqiue Stevenson.

3. Caleb Williams' desire to be better

The offense has to get better, and they should. Currently, it all comes down to the play of the offensive line, and quarterback Caleb Williams playing mistake free football. He threw his first two interceptions of the season last week as he was trying to make something out of nothing, and they were very much ill-advised throws.

Speaking to the media this week, Williams vowed that those mistakes won't happen again and he took accountability for his poor decision making in Week 2. If the run game can get going against the Colts, it should allow more opportunities for Williams and the offense to find some rhythm in the passing game as well. Williams has made it clear early in his NFL career that he's willing to take accountability, he's willing to learn and listen, and most importantly, he wants to put in the work to get better.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Colts: Reasons for optimism for Chicago in Week 3