Bears vs. Patriots: Biggest storylines in Week 10

The Chicago Bears come into Week 10 teetering on the edge of a perilous cliff. The club has squandered their success early in the year with back-to-back losses in Week 8 and Week 9, with both games being immensely deflating for both the team and fanbase.

A quick look past the New England Patriots this week reveals a long stretch of heavy weight opponents in the form of the NFC North, who the Bears will play in the next six of eight games. That makes this week’s game at home a must-win – a loss will hand the Bears a losing record and it will be incredibly difficult to make up ground after.

What seems like a mundane Week 10 matchup means everything to the Bears. Let’s break down all the biggest storylines of Bears vs. Patriots in Week 10.

1. Can the Bears reestablish their offense?

Chicago’s formerly productive offense took a major nose dive in recent weeks, resembling the jumbled mess of a unit that took the field at the beginning of the year. The offense’s sudden listlessness couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the NFL season is beginning to traverse the span of games that will have playoff implications when the year concludes. In spite of the Bears’ dip in play, they are still in the thick of the postseason race, though they’re beginning the rest of the NFC pack. Every win counts at this crucial point of the season, so their upcoming bout with the Patriots will be offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s last chance to tinker with his program and resolve the issues that caused their fall from grace.

New England isn’t quite the stingy legion of terror that they were in the Bill Belichick days, so Waldron and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ efforts to move the ball should bear more fruit. The Patriots are ranked twenty fourth in overall defense, comfortably placing them among the worst defensive units in the league. Furthermore, the Pats have a knack for making bad offenses look good; the Jets and Titans, who have had their own grievances moving the ball, tallied 336 and 400 yards of total offense in Weeks 8 and 9, respectively. However, if last week’s events in Arizona are any indicator, a bad defense on paper doesn’t mean Chicago will impose their will with ease. One way the Bears can ensure offensive success is getting back to work, and their formula to success was a balanced offense. All 11 players on the field played their best when Waldron hit defenses with the run and pass equally, never quite tipping his hand on what he’ll go to next. That method kept opponents off-balance, and it allowed for playmakers to capitalize on their hesitancy and rattle off big plays.

Nothing in the NFL is given; the Bears have to earn their leap in production. All eyes will be on Williams and his unit to see how they bounce back from their recent woes.

2. Will the defense get back to producing turnovers?

Taking the ball away can often swing the trajectory of games, and the Bears’ inability to create turnovers is one reason why they have lost their last couple of games. The defense will attempt to rally and overcome the injuries that have hindered their potential to take the football away, though they’ve been unsuccessful in their attempts to have a return to form the last couple weeks.

The Patriots bring to the table a prime opportunity for Chicago to get back on track, but an advantageous matchup on paper can look a lot different on the field. The defense will have to step onto Soldier Field with a fierce determination to help their team come away with a win. Whether that will result in game-changing turnovers is something that remains to be seen.

3. Can the Bears overcome major injuries?

A two-game losing streak, a slide to the bottom of a competitive NFC North, and a head coach whose seat is warming up with each passing game. How could things get worse? The injury bug provided an unwelcome answer, as several key starters are set to miss tomorrow’s game with various injuries. Productive defensive tackle Andrew Billings was most notably placed on IR with a pectoral injury, and starting tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, as well as safety Jaquan Brisker, are all confirmed to not be suiting up in Week 10. Adversity is staring the Bears in the face, and they can do nothing else but attempt to persevere.

While the injuries would certainly hamper the Bears this Sunday, they can still endure the hardship and come out of Week 10 with a victory. Defensively, the secondary will feel the loss of Brisker, as they had for the last several weeks. The return of nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon softens the blow slightly, but Brisker’s tackling and ball-hawk abilities will be missed. In regards to their offensive counterpart, the loss of two starting tackles is undoubtedly a significant loss for the unit, especially considering how thin the team is at that position. That may cause Waldron to shift the unit’s plan of attack, with getting the ball out of Williams’ hands being a priority.

As unfortunate as it is, injuries are commonplace in the NFL. Good teams learn to quickly adapt and continue to come out on top; the Bears will be challenged to the same in Week 10.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Patriots: Biggest storylines in Week 10