Bears vs. Jaguars: 5 bold predictions for Sunday's game

The Chicago Bears are just hours away from playing their first game overseas in five years. The Bears (3-2) are gearing up to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) in London to kick off the Week 6 Sunday slate of games, and both teams are feeling good about themselves following their big wins.

Chicago is coming off a 36-10 dismantling of the Carolina Panthers, where Caleb Williams threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville had a similar output on offense, though their game came down to the wire against their division foes. The Jaguars won 37-34 in a last-minute thriller over the Indianapolis Colts to capture their first victory of the season. Now, they're preparing for their annual international series of games.

Expect the unexpected when it comes to international NFL games. Anything can happen, which makes for some fun bold predictions:

1. Keenan Allen gets his first TD of the season

It's going to feel like an upset if Keenan Allen doesn't get going this week because the signs are there. Williams told the veteran receiver he needs to get him one while he was mic'd up during the win over Carolina, while play-by-play announcer Rich Eisen got the sense the rookie quarterback is going to be looking Allen's way during their production meeting earlier in the week.

DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet all have gotten their moments to shine. Allen's has to come at some point. Why not against a leaky Jaguar secondary? Up to this point, Allen has produced just 10 catches for 81 yards on the season. He did miss two games and is still working on chemistry with Williams, but at some point, something's got to give. Allen is too talented to be reduced to three catches for 33 yards every week. He will finally get in the end zone to shake the monkey off his back.

2. Rome Odunze gets 100 receiving yards

This Bears game takes place in London, but Rome might steal the show. Odunze popped off in Week 3 for over 100 yards and a touchdown and has been relatively quiet since that performance. He's produced and converted key first downs, but nothing like what we saw in Indianapolis. He has a solid chance of exploding against Jacksonville for a few reasons, though.

One, Odunze is creating plenty of separation on his deep routes. The rookie is blowing past defenders, and for one reason or another, Williams just hasn't found him consistently yet. Two, this is a Jaguars team that allowed big play after big play against the Colts last week, including a 65-yard touchdown strike to Alec Pierce. Odunze can get behind that defense, too, and we know Williams has been good at correcting his mistakes week over week. This feels like a game for Odunze to eclipse 100 receiving yards again.

3. Darrell Taylor gets a sack on Trevor Lawrence

The sack totals may not show it, but defensive end Darrell Taylor has been a force of nature for the Bears through five weeks of the season. Taylor is still sitting on two sacks, both of which came against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, but he's been contributing in other ways. The last few weeks, Taylor has dialed up the pressure on quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Andy Dalton, resulting in sacks down the defensive line and even turnovers. Taylor already has six QB hits and eight pressures, well on his way to achieving career highs in both.

Now, Taylor gets to go up against Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson, who, after a rough couple of games to start the season, has settled in by not allowing a sack since Week 3. Even more impressive, he hasn't allowed pressure over the last two weeks. Still, the Bears defensive line has been playing lights out recently, and if the interior can flush quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of the pocket, Taylor will be there waiting for him.

4. Kevin Byard gets a defensive touchdown

Speaking of Lawrence, the fourth-year signal caller will have a tough time against this secondary, even if it is banged up. Lawrence got back on track last week with a solid performance against the Colts by throwing for more than 350 yards and two touchdowns, along with a pick. It will be difficult for him to replicate that success against a Bears unit that is near the top of the league in many passing categories.

One of the reasons for that has been the play of veteran safety Kevin Byard. The former All-Pro looks like his old self, allowing a 42.8 passer rating and earning high grades from PFF. He's coming off his first interception of the year and now faces a team he knows well from his days with the Titans. The Jaguars will make a mistake at one point, and Byard will capitalize, making a play that even gets him into the end zone for a defensive score.

5. Cairo Santos hits the late game-winning field goal

Aside from their big win over the Panthers last week, the Bears have been in one-score affairs in every other game this season. None of them have had the dramatics of a Cairo Santos game-winning field goal, though. Why not start in London?

Anything can happen during these games. Body clocks are off and the field conditions may not be in top shape, which could lead to bad football being played. This is likely going to be a slugfest until the very end. The good news, though, is the Bears have been solid in the fourth quarter, and we could see the first game-winning drive of Williams' career. I'm predicting Williams leads the offense down the field for a late Santos field goal to lift the Bears over the Jaguars, escaping London with a win.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Jaguars: 5 bold predictions for Sunday's game