Bears Will Stomp on the Giants

Bears Will Stomp on the Giants

In 1934, the undefeated Chicago Bears (13-0) traveled to New York City to face the New York Giants (8-5) for the 2nd annual NFL Championship Game. On December 9, the teams squared off in the Polo Grounds (one of the author’s all-time favorite stadiums) the day after a wicked freezing rain storm ruined the pristine (I’m sure) Polo Grounds field.

After leading 10-3 at halftime, the Bears felt good about their chances, that is, until the Giants equipment manager (actually a tailor friend of Giants coach Steve Owen) grabbed nine pairs of basketball sneakers from nearby Manhattan College’s basketball locker room. At some point between halftime and the start of the 4th quarter, the Giants switched shoes from cleats to sneakers, well, at least nine players did. Then in the 4th quarter the hosts dominated, scoring 27 unanswered points to win the NFL Title going away by a final score of 30-13. It has become known as the “Sneakers Game” in NFL lore.

No such dramatic event will happen this Sunday in the 2019 meeting of these iconic franchises. However, in what could be a meaningful game, the Chicago Bears (4-6) are back home in Soldier Field where they will host the New York Giants (2-8). Despite all the negativity surrounding them in their 100th season, the Bears will dominate this game. Why? Because the Giants are simply not very good for one thing.

The Stats

* Through Week 11, Troy Aikman‘s Efficiency Rating (AER) has the following team rankings:

Chicago Bears (4-6) – 16th overall, 25th offense, 4th defense

New York Giants (2-8) – 28th overall, 27th offense, 20th defense

* ESPN’s FPI gives the Bears a 78.2% chance to win.

* TeamRankings.com has the Bears ranked 14th while the Giants are 29th.

* The official point spread has Chicago favored by 6.5 points with an over/under of 40 points.

* We’re calling for the most dominant performance of the season by Chicago. The Bears are at home. They need a win. The Giants are just plain bad. Mitchell Trubisky has been playing better as of late. As long as he has recovered from his hip injury in Los Angeles, I think he’ll do well. David Montgomery will establish the Bears ground game. Chicago will shut down Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. Look for Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd to each record multiple sacks. Giants running back Saquon Barkley will be held in check, with help from his balky shoulder as of late. Shoulder injuries are always tough for running backs. One hit and he could be out for the rest of the game. Overall, Chicago will dominate, unless the Giants break out some magical sneakers. Of course, the Soldier Field sod will be in pristine shape anyway (I’m sure).

Prediction

Chicago Bears 24, New York Giants 6