THE The Chicago Bears (1-1) are ready to face the Indianapolis Colts (0-2) Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT. The Bears are coming off a 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans (2-0). Despite the Bears’ defensive efforts, their offense and two interceptions by Caleb Williams held them back.
The Colts are coming off a 16-10 loss to the Bears’ rivals, the Green Bay Packers (1-1). That loss was caused by three interceptions by Anthony Richardson. The last time Chicago and Indianapolis met in the regular season, the Colts won 19-11 in Week 4 of the 2020 season.
Before the Bears and Colts face off, here are the four key matchups to watch.
1. Bears pressure against Colts offensive line
The Bears’ defense has proven to be one of the best in the league two weeks into the season. They already have six sacks in two games and have the fifth-best Pro Football Focus rushing grade at 73.6.
The hurdle heading into Week 3 is that the Colts have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. PFF ranks them first in run and pass blocking. Richardson has been sacked just three times in the first two games, but more impressively, he’s been pressured just 19 times.
The Bears’ defensive line, particularly the interior of Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter Sr., must continue to get closer to the quarterback if they want to force Richardson into making more bad decisions.
2. Caleb Williams vs. Colts Defense
Now, to address the sore point, Williams and the Bears offense as a whole have struggled mightily this season. According to PFF, the Bears have the 29th-ranked passing attack in the NFL, with a grade of 44.1.
The Colts’ defense has struggled this season. In Week 1, they faced a PFF-ranked offense against the Texans, and they gave up 16 points to Packers backup Malik Willis. Williams threw the ball 37 times last week, and found a rhythm on the Bears’ early drives. If Williams can fix his deep passing mistakes, as well as his communication issues, then this is his chance to have a productive and comfortable performance.
3. Bears offensive line vs. Colts front seven
A big factor in Williams’ struggles in his first two games has been his offensive line. Long story short, the pass blocking has been bad. Especially on the interior. Williams has been sacked nine times in two games and has already been pressured 69 times.
Fortunately for the Bears, the Colts have had one of the worst offenses in the NFL to start the season. The Colts have only managed four sacks and PFF ranks their offense 28th in the NFL.
The Bears also haven’t been very good on the fast break. D’Andre Swift hasn’t had many holes to run through and has carried the ball 24 times for just 48 yards. The Bears need to take advantage of an offensive attack and front line that struggles to pressure the quarterback and stop the run.
4. Bears’ secondary defense against Anthony Richardson
Richardson has shown a lot of potential early this season. But he’s also made a lot of mistakes. He looks like the best player ever, but he also looks like a second-year quarterback. Richardson has thrown four interceptions in two games, including three in Week 2 against the Packers.
The Bears’ secondary ranks fourth in the NFL according to PFF. They already have two interceptions and nine passes defended this season. Jaylon Johnson has proven himself to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league, and Tyrique Stevenson has shown he has the skills to cover the NFL’s top receivers.
The secondary needs to take advantage of Richardson’s mistakes, especially if the offense is still struggling to find its rhythm.
This article was originally published on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Colts: Key matchups to watch in Week 3
