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With a Chicago Bears Week 8 game versus the Los Angeles Chargers, the question going into this game will be which of these struggling teams can pull out a much-needed win. Ahead of the Sunday Night Football matchup, we're making our Bears Week 8 predictions.
On the surface, this has been another lost season for the Bears as they stand at 2-5 and the cellar of the NFC North. After the first three games of the year, this was pretty much still the case because Chicago lost all three by at least two possessions. However, Chicago then showed some fight going toe-to-toe with the Denver Broncos before finally prevailing over the Washington Commanders for their first win of the season. Justin Fields and the offense started to get going when in back-to-back games, the offense put 28+ points and Fields threw four touchdowns. However, Fields got hurt in the following game versus the Minnesota Vikings, so rookie Tyson Bagent took over and led the team to a win over the Raiders.
The Bears now take on the Chargers, who have had quite the disappointing season. The Chargers are just 2-4, having lost three one-score games. Despite annually having a talented roster with one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL in Justin Herbert, they have yet to live up to their potential. After a playoff appearance a season ago, Los Angeles is staring at a backwards season barring an unexpected turnaround. For the Chargers, this will either be a reset if they win, or a bleak look in the mirror if they drop their third straight.
If Chicago can get this win, Bagent will have pulled off an incredible feat and proven himself versus who many once thought was a contender. With that in mind, let's check out our Bears Week 8 predictions.
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Bears QB Tyson Bagent out-duels Justin Herbert
The rookie undrafted free agent quarterback is coming off of an impressive first NFL start, becoming the first Division II quarterback to start and win an NFL game since 1950. Bagent's stats weren't crazy in his first start — he went 21-29 for 162 yards and a touchdown pass — but he was accurate and the Bears dominated the whole game.
Though Bagent is widely known as a DII rookie, he is a prolific passer in his own right like Herbert. Bagent is the NCAA DII record holder in many categories, including in completions, passing yards and touchdowns. While DII is of course a much different standard and level of competition than the NFL, he has shown he can be a high-volume passer. He also goes up against the Chargers, who hold the worst-ranked pass defense in the league. This will only increase his odds to have a big game.
More than big numbers, Bagent can out-duel Herbert by playing clean football. Herbert has thrown an interception in each of the past three games. If Bagent can play turnover-free and take advantage of the worst pass defense, he has a good shot at outplaying Herbert.
D.J. Moore goes for over 100 yards
The main thing missing in Bagent's first start was a huge game for wide receiver D.J. Moore. In the win over the Raiders, Moore was still the primary target with eight receptions for 54 yards, but he didn't have an explosive performance. This was most likely because the Bears didn't need one. Chicago won handily even though Bagent only threw 162 yards. Instead, they relied on their running game.
This could very well change against the Chargers though. Now that Bagent has a start under his belt, the Bears may be more comfortable letting him throw more. In addition, the Chargers have allowed an 100-yard receiver in four out of their six games this season. Moore is one of the better receivers in the NFL, and can definitely hit this mark.
RB D'Onta Foreman goes for 120+ scrimmage yards
A huge part of the Bears success over the Raiders was the running game, which went for 173 total yards. D'Onta Foreman rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He also added three catches for 31 yards and another touchdown. After second-string back Darrynton Evans averaged just 3.4 yards per carry, the Bears should reward Foreman with more touchdowns following his three-touchdown day.
