These are dangerous times for the Chicago Bears.
Now 1-4 following a close loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, the Bears return home to face the 1-3 Jacksonville Jaguars, who are fresh off their bye week after beating the very same Colts in London.
With future games versus the Green Bay Packers (3-1) and Minnesota Vikings(5-0), the Bears better take care of business against the Jaguars at Soldier Field.
Otherwise, the Bears could be looking at 1-7 heading into the bye week Nov. 6.
Here are six Jacksonville players to watch, courtesy of ESPN Jaguars reporter Mike DiRocco.
Offense
QB Blake Bortles: The No. 3 overall pick in 2014 is coming off his best game of the season. He threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 victory over Indianapolis in London on Oct. 2, but more importantly he didn?t turn the ball over. He had seven turnovers through the first three games (six interceptions). Bortles has played 34 games (33 starts) but has only had seven games in which he did not commit a turnover.
WR Allen Robinson: Teams are making sure Robinson won?t beat them deep and it is working. He has just one catch of 30 or more yards in four games. He had five in the first four games of 2015 and went on to finish with 13. Bortles has thrown just one back-shoulder pass and that was something the Jaguars used regularly last season. He still leads the Jaguars in receptions (21), receiving yards (238) and TDs (three) but the big-play part of the offense is missing.
RB T.J. Yeldon: The Jaguars struggled to run the ball through the first three games (55.0 yards per game) and Yeldon had managed just 84 yards on 34 carries (2.5 per rush). However, they used more inside zone runs against the Colts and Yeldon responded with 14 carries for 71 yards. He?s also a factor in the pass game (second on the team with 18 catches) as well as a good pass blocker.
Defense
DE Yannick Ngakoue: Jaguars? third-round pick leads the team with three sacks, which doesn?t surprise the coaching staff. They loved his motor and tenacity coming out of Maryland and believe he can be a very good player once he gets more experience and develops another pass rush move. What did surprise them a bit, though, was how much better he has been against the run than expected. The Jaguars originally planned for him just to play on third downs but have used him on first and second down to give Dante Fowler Jr. a breather.
MLB Paul Posluszny: He?s a tackling machine (823 in five-plus seasons with the Jaguars) and surprisingly hasn?t shown much signs of slowing down. In fact, several coaches have said Posluszny may be playing his best football since he arrived as a free agent in 2011. The Jaguars drafted Myles Jack in the second round to eventually replace Posluszny but Posluszny has played so well that Jack can?t get on the field at that spot.
CB Jalen Ramsey: He?s an early candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Ramsey has been everything the Jaguars hoped: He?s athletic, fast, and physical. Not just in coverage, either. He has been very good in run support, too. He?s brash and confident and speaks his mind without caring what anyone else things. That may be rubbing some people the wrong way (i.e. Steve Smith) but he?s been able to back it up so far and his teammates love that about him.
Now 1-4 following a close loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, the Bears return home to face the 1-3 Jacksonville Jaguars, who are fresh off their bye week after beating the very same Colts in London.
With future games versus the Green Bay Packers (3-1) and Minnesota Vikings(5-0), the Bears better take care of business against the Jaguars at Soldier Field.
Otherwise, the Bears could be looking at 1-7 heading into the bye week Nov. 6.
Here are six Jacksonville players to watch, courtesy of ESPN Jaguars reporter Mike DiRocco.
Offense
QB Blake Bortles: The No. 3 overall pick in 2014 is coming off his best game of the season. He threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 victory over Indianapolis in London on Oct. 2, but more importantly he didn?t turn the ball over. He had seven turnovers through the first three games (six interceptions). Bortles has played 34 games (33 starts) but has only had seven games in which he did not commit a turnover.
WR Allen Robinson: Teams are making sure Robinson won?t beat them deep and it is working. He has just one catch of 30 or more yards in four games. He had five in the first four games of 2015 and went on to finish with 13. Bortles has thrown just one back-shoulder pass and that was something the Jaguars used regularly last season. He still leads the Jaguars in receptions (21), receiving yards (238) and TDs (three) but the big-play part of the offense is missing.
RB T.J. Yeldon: The Jaguars struggled to run the ball through the first three games (55.0 yards per game) and Yeldon had managed just 84 yards on 34 carries (2.5 per rush). However, they used more inside zone runs against the Colts and Yeldon responded with 14 carries for 71 yards. He?s also a factor in the pass game (second on the team with 18 catches) as well as a good pass blocker.
Defense
DE Yannick Ngakoue: Jaguars? third-round pick leads the team with three sacks, which doesn?t surprise the coaching staff. They loved his motor and tenacity coming out of Maryland and believe he can be a very good player once he gets more experience and develops another pass rush move. What did surprise them a bit, though, was how much better he has been against the run than expected. The Jaguars originally planned for him just to play on third downs but have used him on first and second down to give Dante Fowler Jr. a breather.
MLB Paul Posluszny: He?s a tackling machine (823 in five-plus seasons with the Jaguars) and surprisingly hasn?t shown much signs of slowing down. In fact, several coaches have said Posluszny may be playing his best football since he arrived as a free agent in 2011. The Jaguars drafted Myles Jack in the second round to eventually replace Posluszny but Posluszny has played so well that Jack can?t get on the field at that spot.
CB Jalen Ramsey: He?s an early candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Ramsey has been everything the Jaguars hoped: He?s athletic, fast, and physical. Not just in coverage, either. He has been very good in run support, too. He?s brash and confident and speaks his mind without caring what anyone else things. That may be rubbing some people the wrong way (i.e. Steve Smith) but he?s been able to back it up so far and his teammates love that about him.
