A Bigger Threat, Giants or Weather?

With the kind of season the Bears have experienced, perhaps it's only appropriate they are expecting severe wind gusts and wind chill around zero.

This isn't because they're facing the New York Giants and some of their great bad-weather games of the past came against this team, starting with the 1934 sneakers game, then the 1963 championship game at frozen Wrigley Field, the 1977 ice bowl game in the Meadowlands and the 1985 playoffs at windy old Soldier Field.

Due to COVID-19, injuries and benchings, the Bears haven't had their projected opening-day starting lineup on the field since the middle of their second game.

So now that they do have Andy Dalton at quarterback, Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney at wide receiver, their starting tackles and running back David Montgomery all on the field at once, they still might not be able to get the passing game going because of wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph.

Such is their lot in life this season, it seems.

"There's sometimes where, again, the weather men and women they say it's gonna be really, really crazy," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "So then you change your game plan and you go out there and it's not really, really crazy. But some of these are right and they get it right.

"So you've gotta go out there and play with the conditions. The players know. The coaches know. And we rock and roll with whatever it is."

This Bears season has been about constantly adjusting to change, so why should the final home game be any different?

Here is who wins Sunday's game in the really Windy City and why.

Bears Running the Ball

In seven games since returning from a knee injury, David Montgomery has averaged only 3.5 yards a carry. The Bears running attack is better suited for a windy day when Justin Fields plays because he can run the ball himself to pick up yardage and the threat of his run opens up the rest of the running game. They got the running game going out of the shotgun last week finally, but without Dalton at quarterback. Can they marry up the shotgun run with the outside zone blocking again without the threat of a running QB? The Giants on defense are 26th against the run and have allowed 136.6 yards a game rushing in their last five games. Edge to the Bears.

Bears Passing the Ball

New York's pass defense is 14th in yards allowed per attempt, so their secondary is capable. Their pass rush, led by Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Williams, is capable although nowhere near dominant. This could come down to whether Allen Robinson really is 100% after COVID-19 and the Bears can finally get him the ball on offense. If the wind is strong, he's just the wide receiver they need working hitches like the Bears seem to want to forever throw to him. No Edge.

Giants Running the Ball

Saquon Barkley is averaging 3.5 yards for the year, and had just 82 yards on his last 30 attempts. He hasn't had more than 64 yards in a game all year. Devontae Booker is actually their rushing leader with 533 yards and is capable of inflicting damage with 4.5 yards an attempt, but the Giants haven't given him more than eight carries since Nov. 7. They are 26th in rushing yards. The Bears' porous run defense has Akiem Hicks back, and he is a key to their ability to stop ground attacks. But how much he can play after returning Friday from COVID-19 and a week away remains to be seen. No Edge.

Giants Passing the Ball

The Giants have ingredients for a good passing attack but losing Daniel Jones was devastating. They don't use Kenny Golladay as he's best used, anyway, with too many short routes and not enough catching passes downfield on the run. Mike Glennon will throw the slant and quick passes but his accuracy at times is off and this leads to plenty of tipped passes. So the Bears secondary and linebackers have to be alert. The Bears secondary is in a state of flux but at least they have most of the starters available now. Glennon could have problems getting the ball away with Robert Quinn and his 17 sacks bearing down, and with Hicks back pushing the pocket on the interior rush. The Bears are fourth against the pass but still have only six interceptions. They're overdue for some and picked off Glennon twice last year in Jacksonville. Edge to the Bears.

Special Teams

Giants kicker Graham Gano has only one miss on the year and his great leg strength makes him an ideal kicker to drive in through the wind. Cairo Santos has been a bit shaky in the season's second half with three of his four misses coming after Nov. 1. The Giants are atrocious returning kicks, averaging 20.6 a return. But they are excellent covering them at 18.3 yards allowed. New York has used everyone from Jabril Peppers to Pharoh Cooper to C.J. Board to return punts. Jakeem Grant's return from the concussion protocol brings the big return back into play for the Bears, although Dazz Newsome did a nice job of this last week himself. No Edge.

Coaching

Two lame duck coaching staffs? The Giants beat the Saints on the road but no one else on the road since that Oct. 3 game. They had played most teams tough but that all ended with their loss to Tampa Bay. They have lost five of their last six by more than a TD and it would appear they have quit on the coaching staff to a greater extent than the Bears have, and this matters in a meaningless game. Edge to the Bears.

Prediction

The Line: Bears by 6 1/2 (Over/under 36 1/2).

Gene Chamberlain's Record to date: 13-2, 10-5 vs. the spread.

Gene Chamberlain's Pick: Bears 21, Giants 13.

The Bears are still playing hard and it's difficult to see how any team with QB Mike Glennon could come in during the late season and pull off an upset in tough weather conditions. Anticipate a defensive/special teams Bears TD.

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