The Indianapolis Colts (2-1) are preparing for a road trip against the Chicago Bears (3-0) at Soldier Field for a crucial Week 4 matchup.
Even though the Bears are one of the seven undefeated teams in the NFL entering Week 4, the Colts are currently road favorites in the matchup. Before it all goes down, though, we caught up with Alyssa Barbieri, managing editor of Bears Wire, to get the scoop on the Colts’ Week 4 opponent.
Here are our five questions with Alyssa:
Colts Wire: With Nick Foles now the starting QB, what does this change for the Bears offense moving forward?
Alyssa Barbieri: It changes everything, quite frankly. It was evident from the moment Foles stepped into last Sunday’s game. The offense looked different. It looked efficient, Foles was getting rid of the ball and hitting deep shots that Mitchell Trubisky had struggled with. This offseason, Matt Nagy had adapted his offense to fit the strengths of Trubisky, which involved taking more snaps under center and utilizing play action to help him survey the field. We could get back to basics with this offense with Foles operating more out of the shotgun and utilizing those RPOS. Many wondered what Nagy’s offense was supposed to look like, and we’re going to get a good look at that with Foles under center.
CW: At 3-0, the Bears are one of the seven undefeated teams in Week 4. What needs to happen for them to continue winning games?
AB: They need to play a complete game. While the Bears are 3-0, they could just as easily be 0-3 if not for two miraculous fourth-quarter comebacks and an incomplete pass in the endzone. After squeaking out wins against teams that are a combined 1-8 after three weeks, the Bears can’t expect to continue to win that way as the talent gets better, starting with the Colts. Obviously that starts on offense, which should look a lot different with Foles at the helm, and they’re going to need to score touchdowns. But the defense, which has given up some yardage, also needs to play a complete game.
CW: Outside of Kyle Fuller and Khalil Mack, who should Colts fans know about on the Bears defensive side of the ball?
AB: Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks missed most of last season with an elbow injury, and his presence this season is a reminder of just how important he is to the success of this defense. He’s a powerful run stuffer and has a penchant for getting after the quarterback, and he currently leads the Bears in sacks with 3.5. New Bears edge rusher Robert Quinn is being worked into the line-up following an ankle injury that held him out of the opener, and his first play was a strip-sack. The pairing of Mack and Quinn is something that has already started paying dividends for this pass rush.
CW: Who has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears in the first three weeks?
AB: Without a doubt it’s been rookie CB Jaylon Johnson and rookie WR Darnell Mooney, who have had an immediate impact on this team in a big way. Johnson, a second-round pick, has outperformed the six cornerbacks taken ahead of him in the NFL Draft, and he’s among the third highest-rated cornerback in the league through three weeks. Right now, Johnson looks like a steal of the NFL Draft. Then there’s the fifth-round pick Mooney, who immediately stood out as a special talent. It’s certainly a tall order when someone compares your work ethic to that of Allen Robinson, but he’s been working his tail off. Mooney has already flashed that breakaway speed, and his role on offense is only going to continue to grow, as he’s been getting the second-most reps among receivers for the third straight week.
CW: Final score, prediction?
AB: Initially, I was going to go with the Colts on this one. But when Nick Foles was officially named the starting QB, I feel like this is really going to open the offense up in a way where they won’t need a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback to win. It’s definitely going to be a close one and a real test for both teams. But I have the Bears pulling out another close win. Bears 24, Colts 23.