The New York Giants Week 4 matchup vs. the Chicago Bears is a battle between the two most shocking 2-1 teams in the NFL. Both these teams were picked to finish closer to the No. 1 overall pick than the top of the standings, yet both have a winning record through three weeks. So, ahead of Giants-Bears, let’s make some bold Giants Week 4 predictions.
The Giants' lucky glass slipper finally fell off on Monday Night Football vs. the Dallas Cowboys, as Brian Daboll’s squad took their first L of the season. The Cowboys exposed some of the Giants' weaknesses, especially on offense, and now, Daboll has just five days to correct them.
The Bears have somehow found a way to win this season, albeit against the San Francisco 49ers in a monsoon and one of the worst teams in the league in the Houston Texans. That said, you can make all the qualifications you want, but Justin Fields and the Bears are still tied atop the NFC North.
After this Week 4 Giants-Bears game, one team will be back down to earth at .500, and the other will be shockingly flying high at 3-1. With that as the stakes, let’s make a few bold Giants Week 4 predictions.
Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
4. Daniel Jones will throw it even quicker and shorter
The Giants offensive line — like most of the team — is a work in progress. New York has some good pieces with promising young tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal alongside veterans like Jon Feliciano and Mark Glowinski. But the Cowboys proved last week the unit is not ready for primetime yet.
The talented and aggressive Dallas D sacked Daniel Jones five times on Monday night and hit him 12 times. That was the big difference in the game.
Additionally, even if Jones did have time to throw downfield, he’s running out of receivers to throw to. Young wideouts Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson are hurt, Sterling Shephard went out for the season on the last play of Week3 with a knee injury, and big-money free-agent Kenny Golladay seemingly can no longer catch.
With this going on, Jones is 28th in the league in yards per pass attempt (6.1) and 29th in yards per completion (9.5). Despite these numbers, the Giants QB will throw it even shorter in the Week 4 Giants-Bears tilt.
Brian Daboll is a problem solver, and the Bears defense isn’t quite as good as the Cowboys’. He should be able to find a way to get the ball out of Jones’ hand quickly and to running backs, tight ends, and whatever wide receivers he has left to avoid sacks or downfield matchups that favor the Bears.
3. Saquon Barkley will be the Giants' star of the game
With all the problems in the passing game, Saquon Barkley will again be the key to New York’s offensive success. The Giants RB is sixth in the league in rushing attempts (53) this season and second in rushing yards (317).
The team’s hopes of moving the ball center on Barkley running the ball and hopefully creating enough fear in the defense to allow Daniel Jones to hit a play-action pass or two during the Giants Week 4 matchup.
SAQUON BARKLEY: FANTASY RB1. pic.twitter.com/GRXtW6IEGz
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) September 27, 2022
This will likely make fans nervous, but the bold Giants Week 4 prediction here is that Daboll keeps riding Barkley as his workhorse. The RB is the engine that drives the New York offense right now, and he has to stay that way if the team has any hope of winning.
And, as good as Barkley has been, he’s a free agent after the season, so the cold truth of the matter is there isn’t much downside to Daboll milking all he can out of Barkley this season. The runner will either prove he can be a bell cow back or be someone else’s problem next season.
2. Brian Daboll will out-coach the Bears’ Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy
When the talent on both sidelines isn’t great, NFL games come down to coaching. Brian Daboll has gotten the most out of his below-average talent this season and is proving that, in addition to being a shrewd offensive mind, he’s a great general as well.
On the other side, fellow first-year head coach Matt Eberflus has helped his team find ways to win, but offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s play-calling and game-planning have been suspect.
For nearly every statistical category that Daniel Jones ranks toward the bottom of the league in, Justin Fields is dead last among current starters. The Bears QB is averaging 15 pass attempts, just under eight completions, and 99 passing yards per game in 2022.
It was not *all* bad from Justin Fields against the Texans. Fired in an absolute dart to Mooney on a deep curl.
Endzone angle shows just how tight the window was pic.twitter.com/9cIFZnkVd9
— Lorin Cox (@CoxSports1) September 27, 2022
Neither of the offenses in the Giants-Bears game is good, but one is led by Daboll and the other Getsy. It’s not that bold a Giants Week 4 prediction to say, give me Daboll.
1. Giants 20, Bears 13
The Giants-Bears clash isn’t the best game on the slate Sunday, but it is one of the most intriguing. As mentioned above, one of these teams will come out the other side at 3-1, which will be a minor miracle with the rosters on display.
The Bears had one extra day to prepare for the Sunday 1 pm ET clash in New Jersey, but I’ll take one less day of Daboll than all the days of Eberflus and Getsy you want to give me.
This will be the Giants’ first-year head coach’s first time having to rally his team after a loss, but as well as Daboll’s navigated all his other firsts so far, look for him to lead the G-Men back to the W column.
Follow Us
Subscribe