Chicago Bears Week 2 Preview : vs Seattle Seahawks
The Chicago Bears (0-1) face the Seattle Seahawks (0-1) in their home opener on Monday Night Football tonight! Chicagoans are pumped for this game. The buzz is all about Khalil Mack and what he brings to the table for this Bears defense, which was already a top 10 unit last year. What will #52 do tonight? Can the Bears take down Russell Wilson? Can QB #10 Mitch Trubisky elevate his play from Week 1? Will Matt Nagy get his first NFL victory as a Head Coach?
I know it’s early, but let’s analyze the numbers with the help of our good friend Troy Aikman. If you read my Bears Previews the last two seasons, you know I like invoking Troy Aikman’s team ratings system. It’s a much better ranking that the NFL’s simple yardage rankings. Here’s how Mr. Aikman has the Bears and Seahawks matching up based on Week 1 stats.
Aikman Efficiency Ratings (AER)
- Seattle: 29th overall (124.9), 23rd offense (67.6), 24th defense (57.4)
- Chicago: 14th overall (153.6), 17th offense (74.8), 12th defense (78.8)
As you can see, the Bears look very average after losing that opener at Green Bay. They played excellent for most of the first half and played lousy for most of the second half. On the other hand, Seattle looks plain bad after their opening week 27-24 loss at Denver.
Let’s not be too quick to judge these squads though. Maybe Seattle is good. Maybe Chicago is good too. I tend to think the Bears are really good. As you know if you read my 2018 Bears Preview, I picked an NFC Playoff berth for the first time since 2010 with this Bears unit earning a 10-6 record this year. As for Seattle, I picked them to go 6-10 as you may have read in my 2018 Pro Football Spectacular. They have the looks of a team in transition as their great defenses of years past are now depleted and rebuilding.
Watch Out For………
ILB #58 Roquan Smith – Roquan only played 8 snaps in the opening night loss at Green Bay. However, Smith made a big impact in his 8 snaps, recording 3 tackles and a sack. Roquan’s first ever snap in a Bears uniform ended with a sack after he busted over Packers RB/WR Ty Montgomery and buried QB DeShone Kizer. It was a grand entrance for the Bears #8 overall pick out of Georgia. Expect to see much more of Smith tonight. He should help cover Seattle’s newfound TE Will Dissly, who had 3 catches for 105 yards and a TD in his NFL debut last week. Smith will also help Chicago contain Seahawks superstar QB Russell Wilson who is very mobile.
Week 2 Prediction:
The Bears are gonna be super pumped to return home for the home opener of ’18. The fact that it’s on MNF is an added motivator. The Seahawks are excited too but they are usually great at home and poor on the road, even when they used to be Super Bowl contenders, and I don’t see this year’s Seahawks as Super Bowl contenders. In fact, I don’t even think they will contend for the NFC Playoffs.
The Bears, on the other hand, are primed to get back to a winning culture. That winning begins tonight in Soldier Field on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Chicago is favored by 5 points according to today’s Chicago Tribune. I’ll take the Bears both S/U and ATS.
Chicago Bears 27, Seattle Seahawks 16
Dutch Lion Sports 
1 comment