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Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears: Keep Your Enemies Close - 5 Questions with Bear Goggles On

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:31 p.m. ET

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Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars head to Chicago this weekend to take on the Bears in yet another must-win game to try and keep playoff hopes alive.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally won a game two weeks ago when they bested the Indianapolis Colts in London, but they lost ground last Sunday when they went on a bye. The Colts and Titans both won to pull ahead and leave the Jaguars in last place of the AFC South.

In order to keep pace, the Jaguars have to do something they haven’t show they can do – beat a less talented team on the road.

We wanted to get some intel on our opponent so we reached out to Mike Burzawa over at Bear Goggles On.. Here’s what he had to say:

1. Jay Cutler has been one of the more polarizing quarterbacks in recent history. Is all the talk about the team being better with Brian Hoyer more narrative than truth?

My take:

A little bit of a non-answer from Mike but I understand what he’s saying. Neither Hoyer nor Cutler are the answer in Chicago at the end of the day, so whoever can drag this team to a few wins this year is going to get their number called. Cutler is definitely the more talented passer, but Hoyer actually worries me more since he carved up the Jaguars last year with the Houston Texans. Hopefully things are different this year.

Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) runs with the ball against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jeremy Langford started the season as RB1, but Jordan Howard has come in and looked outstanding in his stead. What makes him good and why wasn’t he getting carries until now?

My take:

As a fantasy owner, I feel betrayed by the Bears for fooling everyone into thinking Jeremy Langford was a viable three down back. Before getting sidelined, Langford was producing modest numbers at best. Enter Jordan Howard and all of a sudden the Bears have a dynamic component on offense. The rookie runner worries me much more than Langford does. The Jaguars have been decent against the run this year, but they need to gameplan against Howard since he will be used heavily after putting up a great performance last week.

Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman (50) celebrates making a play during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Chicago won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

3. Vic Fangio is a terrific defensive coordinator, but he doesn’t appear to have much to work with in terms of talent right now. Where are the weak spots on the Bears defense and do you think the Jaguars can exploit them?

My take:

With an already underwhelming secondary across the field from him, it sounds like Blake Bortles doesn’t really have an excuse to not excel this weekend. The Bears are going to be missing their best defensive linemen so the pass rush shouldn’t be too much of an issue, even with the occasional blitz. With extra time in the pocket, I expect the Jaguars to try and integrate more deep passes into the offense and get Allen Robinson going early. They should focus on boundary passes more, as opposed to the middle where the Bears deploy some very good linebackers.

Sep 11, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at EverBank Field. Green Bay Packers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

4. Which player on the Jaguars would you most like to take to put on the Bears?

My take:

This is a very interesting choice from Mike given the criticism levied at Bortles over the course of the year so far. Bortles certainly hasn’t taken that next step and appears to have regressed, but I wouldn’t rule out a recovery over the next few weeks. It’s actually somewhat ironic given the similarities of the criticisms between Bortles and Cutler (poor decision making and ball security). Still, I can’t fault Mike for wanting to fix the quarterback position.

Oct 11, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Connor Barth on the sidelines during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

5. What’s your prediction for the game?

My take:

I like the specificity of Mike’s prediction and I certainly like the result. The Jaguars desperately need this game and I agree that it should be close if the Jaguars pull it out. The Jacksonville defense has played better than their PPG would indicate in my opinion, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Bears end up getting their points.

Are the Jaguars going to win this battle of mistfits? Check out my fact or fiction column tomorrow to find out.

Check out my answers to Mike’s questions over at Bear Goggles On.

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