Week 2 of the NFL season wraps up in the Windy City as the Chicago Bears host the Seattle Seahawks. Game time is set for 8:15 EST on Monday, September 17 at Soldier Field in Chicago. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
By looking at the Week 2 NFL odds, the Bears are favored by 3.5 points at home. That line has increased slightly after Chicago opened as 3-point favorites. The over/under for the game is set at 43 points.
There’s no getting around it, the Bears got Aaron Rodgers-ed in Week 1. They led 20-0 midway through the 3rd quarter and looked poised for a major upset. However, Rodgers went to work and led an amazing comeback. Along the way, the Bears still had plenty of opportunities to put the game on ice but they couldn’t finish the game off despite being the better team for a majority of the game.
The Seahawks were a little less impressive in Week 1 despite only losing by three points to the Broncos. Seattle was out-gained by over 150 yards and managed only 13 total first downs. Even though the Seattle defense was able to force three turnovers, the Seahawks struggled to contain the Broncos both on the ground and through the air. It was just one game, but this doesn’t look like the same Seattle defense as past years.
Obviously, both teams will be hoping to avoid dropping to 0-2 on the season. Neither team was projected to make the playoffs at the start of the season, and going winless in their first two games isn’t going to make things any easier. I expect both teams to play with a sense of urgency and desperation, especially on a Monday night.
With the line at 3.5 points, it’s awfully tempting to take the Seahawks. Before the season, I probably would have taken Seattle and the points. But I’m going to drink the kool-aid on the Bears a little bit. They out-played the Packers for three quarters last week and lost only because of an utterly amazing and unlikely comeback. I think being at home on Monday night will help them bounce back and play well enough against Seattle to cover the spread.
The jury may be still out on Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but the Bears have what looks like a powerful rushing attack with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Those two combined for 107 yards on 20 carries against the Packers. If they can continue that kind of productivity, it’ll put Trubisky in a good position to make plays with his arm. Trubisky is still learning the position while also adjusting to a new set of receivers. But as long as Chicago can run the ball, the Bears can get by with modest productivity from their passing game.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks actually struggled to contain the run last week. They gave up 146 yards on the ground, and that was without worrying about the quarterback taking off, which is something they’ll have to watch with Trubisky. Denver’s backfield of Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay is actually quite similar to Howard and Cohen. Both sets of backs form very much a thunder-and-lightning combination, which I think bodes well for the Chicago running game this week.
I also have some concerns about the Seattle offense, which struggled to move the ball consistently last week. Even though they scored 24 points, they did so on explosive plays that may not be there this week. We should also remember that Seattle struggled to run the ball last week, attempting just 14 rushing plays with their backs. Also, with Doug Baldwin out with an injury, the Seahawks are lacking proven playmakers in the passing game. Will Dissly and Tyler Lockett stepped up last week, but those players aren’t always consistent and reliable.
The talent on Chicago’s defense also can’t be overlooked, especially after the way the Seahawks struggled to contain Von Miller last week. Miller had three sacks and two forced fumbles against Seattle and it’s not hard to envision Khalil Mack being able to make a similar impact. Despite limited practice time with the Bears, Mack hit the ground running last week, so the Seahawks need to account for him. Of course, Chicago’s defense as a whole is well above average, and they proved that for most of last week’s game against Green Bay.
While I admit there’s some risk expecting the Bears to cover without strong play at quarterback, I was impressed enough with the rest of Chicago’s roster last week to take that risk. A lot of the weaknesses that the Seahawks displayed last week, most notably difficulty stopping the run and dealing with a strong pass rush, are things that the Bears will be able to exploit. Remember, without Rodgers leading an epic comeback, the Bears would have won by double figures last week, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see that pull that off this week against Seattle.