Giants' 2022 Week 4 Opponent Preview: Bears
The Giants and Bears don't play in the same division, but for the fifth time in as many years, they'll square off against each other during the regular season.
Back in the day, the Giants and Bears were among the most classic NFL rivalries. Before the advent of the Super Bowl, the Giants and Bears, two of the NFL's oldest franchises, faced each other in six NFL championship games.
During the Super Bowl era, the Giants and Bears met twice in the postseason, including the 1985 NFC Divisional Round, in which the Bears defense dominated the Giants, and the 1990 NFC Divisional playoffs, in which the Giants exacted revenge with a dominating effort of their own.
This year, both teams have new, first-time head coaches, the Giants with Brian Daboll and the Bears with Matt Eberflus. Daboll was previously the offensive coordinator in Buffalo and Eberflus, the defensive coordinator for the Colts.
Week 4: Chicago Bears at New York Giants
Sunday, October 2, 2022, 1:00 p.m., FOX
Bears' 2021 Record
6-11 (.353), third in NFC North.
Series History
Giants trail the regular-season series, 31-21-2. They also trail in the postseason series, 5-3. This will be the fifth consecutive meeting between the two clubs, the first time since 1939-1943.
This year's meeting is the first to be played on the Giants' home turf since 2018. The Giants' series with the Bears is their oldest, dating back to 1925, the Giants' first year in existence. (The Giants’ first-ever road victory was in Chicago on December 13, 1925.)
Last Meeting
The teams last met on January 2, 2022, a game in which the Bears won 29-3. Although the Giants finished with 161 rushing yards, their passing game accounted for just minus-6 net passing yards.
Bears Key Additions
Justin Jones, DT (FA); Lucas Patrick, C/G (FA); Byron Pringle, LB (FA); Nicholas Morrow, LB (FA); Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE (FA); Jaquan Brisker, S (draft); Kyler Gordon, CB (draft); Velus Jones Jr., WR (draft)
Bears Key Losses
Khalil Mack, OLB (trade); Allen Robinson II, WR (FA); Akiem Hicks, DE (FA); James Daniels, G (FA); Jason Peters, T (FA); Eddie Goldman, NT (released); Bilal Nichols, DE (FA); Danny Trevathan, ILB (released), Alec Ogletree, ILB (released); Tashaun Gipson, S (FA); Nick Foles, QB (released); Andy Dalton, QB (FA)
Offseason Grade: C
GM Ryan Poles was unable to sign any marquee free agents to help QB Justin Fields. Poles had little cap space and no first-round draft pick. So, he simply cleared cap space and got rid of players who didn't fit new offensive and defensive systems under coach Matt Eberflus.
The goal was to have cap space next year and the Bears ($100 million) have the most of any team, so from this end the plan worked. For this season, their other goal was adding cheaper free agent starters on short-term contracts such as Justin Jones, Patrick, Morrow and Pringle, provided he is able to avoid further trouble with the law after an arrest on driving charges.
Expect young players such as Brisker and Gordon to emerge quickly while both WR Darnell Mooney and TE Cole Kmet make more strides in Year 3. — Gene Chamberlain, Publisher, Bear Digest
Biggest Question Still to Be Answered
What will the Bears' starting offensive line look like on opening day? The new offense is based on David Montgomery's running and play-action passes but the blocking is a huge question. They could have new starters at three or four positions, including rookie Braxton Jones at left tackle. Larry Borom appears set for either left or right tackle. The biggest uncertainty is who is at right guard: former center Sam Mustipher, tackle Teven Jenkins or one of three rookies. It's also possible they'll trade for a guard or pick up one who is cut. — Gene Chamberlain, Publisher, Bear Digest
Fantasy Fact
The Bears have had just three quarterbacks (Mitchell Trubisky, Jay Cutler, Erik Kramer) score more than 200 fantasy points in a single season in the Super Bowl era. That’s just three quarterbacks in 56 years! Couple that trend with the lack of elite-level talent the team has in the current pass attack, and Fields could be in for a difficult season. -- Michael Fabiano
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