(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Chicago Bears (3-6) take on the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) at noon Sunday at Soldier Field. WBBM Newsradio’s coverage will begin at 9 a.m. with Jeff Joniak, who offers these insights into the matchup.
OFFENSE
--Strike quickly and finish drives. A big start out of the bye with no sign of rust, against a Ravens defense with 10-days to prepare would send a strong message that the Bears are not going into hibernation.
--In making his eighth start, rookie quarterback Justin Fields is poised to take advantage of an aggressive Ravens defense with big pass plays downfield. That unit is physical and is in constant attack mode but also suffers communication breakdowns that lead to touchdowns and big plays.
--The key to the big strikes will be protection against a blitz-heavy scheme. Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale loves to stack the line and force the action. He brings pressure from every level and from every angle. Communication up front for the Bears must be sound and involve backs, receivers and tight ends.
--Expect the unexpected from Martindale. He likes to cook up unscouted looks and pressures that aim to alarm a rookie quarterback. They blitz everybody, but key defenders to block in that mode will be linebacker Patrick Queen, safety Chuck Clark and nickel slot corner Tavon Young.
--Running the ball is what the Bears do best, so keep doing what you do best. Just stay away from 14-year veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who is disruptive, long and capable of stuffing the inside game.
--Baltimore gives up explosive plays, but they are tough situationally on third down and Red Zone. The Bears offense must be great in those situations.
--Protect the football. It will be harmful to give the Ravens any extra possessions.
DEFENSE
—Manage Lamar Jackson with vision on him at all times, every down. Extending plays with his feet and his arm is his specialty. He creates windows to throw under and over a defense to tight end Mark Andrews, wide receiver Hollywood Brown and rookie Rashod Bateman.
—It is going to be a big job for linebacker Roquan Smith and Bears safeties to quiet Andrews. His 21 receiving touchdowns since 2019 are tied for the most in the league by a tight end with Kansas City’s Travis Kelce.
—Brown is working through a thigh injury, but he is dangerous, with Jackson finding him on four touchdown catches of 20 yards or more, tied for 2nd in the league.
—Fifteen of Bateman’s 18 catches have gone for first downs, which ranks 4th in the league and is tops among rookies. He is a physical, savvy route runner and can stress a defense looking to make key stops in clutch moments.
—Knowing they are without Khalil Mack and Danny Trevathan for the season and Akiem Hicks for at least this game with an ankle injury, the Bears must pull together to stop the run and account for every gap across the formation. This is a test to see if they can nail down the edges and prevent a San Francisco-type success in the run game.
—On third and long, the Bears have to start getting off the field with more efficiency. They are 29th in 3rd and 6+ conversion attempts (34.5). Baltimore is struggling on 3rd down overall, converting just 34.2% of the time, which ranks 29th in the league. They really struggle on 3rd and 6+, converting a league-worst 7 times in 54 attempts for just a 13% clip.
SPECIAL TEAMS
—Winning in this phase is critical to the outcome. Baltimore thrives on special teams. They are aggressive and physical in coverage, and they attack in the return game with Devin Duvernay, who leads the NFL in punt return average.
—Preventing big plays in the return game and forcing the Ravens to operate on long fields will be the task of the coverage units and punter Patrick O’Donnell and kicker Cairo Santos.
—This is has to be a mistake-free and penalty-free game in this phase. Every yard matters, and every tackle must be fundamentally sound and purposeful with an eye on making the stop and then trying to force a turnover.
—Two of the finest kickers in the league do battle in what could be a wet track and windy Sunday. Justin Tucker is a Hall of Fame-caliber field goal kicker with limitless range. He is 2-for-2 at Soldier Field, with a long of 52. Tucker has made 45 field goals in his career 50-yards-plus and a record 66-yard effort against Detroit in week 3.
—Santos may have been short from 65 to end his consecutive field goals made streak at 40 in Pittsburgh, but there is no concern that his success will suddenly slide. He is mentally tough, and always prepared for his moment to shine.
INTANGIBLES
--All week long the Bears' mindset has been to prepare for a physical game against a team built on a culture of physicality. The Bears have to meet that challenge and not just for a few plays but every play as Matt Nagy is selling to his team: Out-physical a physical team.
--Feed off the crowd, get off to a fast start and let Justin Fields do his thing and let’s see what kind of fight is in the dog.
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for Chicago Bears games. Follow him on Twitter: @JeffJoniak.
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