Chicago Bears vs Jacksonville Jaguars – Week 6 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (3-2) had their most complete effort of the season last Sunday at Soldier Field, pounding a bad Panthers squad 36-10 for a second-consecutive win. The defense continues to play well and quarterback Caleb Williams is steadily improving, passing for over 300 yards and developing a connection with top receiver D.J. Moore.
This week, Chicago crosses the Atlantic Ocean for a ”home” game in London against the struggling Jaguars (1-4). Doug Peterson’s team stumbled badly out of the gate in 2024, going 0-4 before finally hanging on to beat the Colts despite blowing a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. This follows a rough finish to 2023 where they lost five of their last six games to crash out of what appeared to be a safe playoff spot.
Jacksonville has an offense that has been in the middle of the pack scoring 19.4 points a game. They have had a difficult time converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns with just a 44% success rate and former top draft pick Trevor Lawrence has been inconsistent under center with just 1100 yards and six touchdowns through five games.
The Jags defense has been their real Achilles’ heel so far this season giving up 28.6 points a game, third most in the NFL. They have the worst pass defense in the league so far, getting torched for 287 yards per contest.
Jacksonville has been a yearly visitor to London which may give them an advantage in this matchup despite being officially considered the road team. They have also had travel issues after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida Wednesday night, with their planned Thursday flight being delayed.
The Bears have a chance for their first three-game winning streak since 2020, that’s not a typo, it’s been four years without a winning streak. If they can navigate the international travel and the turf at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, this is a real chance for them to get a win and go on a roll.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, October 13 at 8:30am CT on NFL Network, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Contain Josh Hines-Allen on the edge. Williams should be able to throw on the Jaguars if he has time to survey the field. The best way to ensure he has that time is to keep the All-Pro pass rusher under wraps.
- Stop Jacksonville’s running attack. A big factor in the Jaguars victory over Indianapolis was a huge performance by running back Tank Bigsby, who scampered for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Chicago needs to prevent that and force Lawrence to beat them.
- Get Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze going. Moore had a big game against his former team but the other two Bears receivers haven’t really gotten into gear. Allen has been limited by injuries and Odunze is still adjusting to the speed of the NFL. A matchup with the porous Jags secondary should be a good opportunity for them to have a big day.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are one point favorites across the pond against the Jaguars. Vegas expects an average scoring game with an over/under set at 44.5.
It’s Football Weather
The high temperature at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Sunday afternoon is 53 degrees with a chance of rain.
My Prediction
London games are always kind of wonky so they are hard to predict. I think the Bears offense will continue to be productive and Williams will have a good game. A couple of Jaguars turnovers will make the difference and Chicago will get the victory 28-24.
Official Bears Preview
Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer discuss takeaways from the Bears’ London setup, Caleb Williams’ growth and preview the Jaguars.
