Bears bold predictions for Week 6 vs. Jaguars

After a slow start that saw the Chicago Bears lose two of their first three games, the Monsters of the Midway are starting to find their stride. They have won their last two games and there's a strong feeling of confidence developing in a team that is looking for its first winning season since 2018 when the Bears put together a 12-4 record.

The focus this season has been on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall draft pick last April. That's not a surprise, but this is far more than a one-man team. Chicago has plenty of talent at the wide receiver position with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and veteran Keenan Williams.

Additionally, the Chicago defense has picked it up from where the team left off last year.  Defensive end Montez Sweat is the key to the Bears defense, as that unit picked up its level of play when he was acquired from the Washington Commanders last season. He has continued to thrive this season, and he is getting plenty of assistance from fellow defensive end DeMarcus Walker along with linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards.

As good as the front seven is, the secondary may be even better. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson have shown they are up to the challenge of covering talented wideouts one on one.

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The Bears also have a couple of strong weapons on special teams in placekicker Cairo Santos and rookie punter Tory Taylor. Santos has proven his dependability throughout his 11-year career and has made 8 of 9 field goal attempts this season. Taylor appears to be a dynamic weapon who excels at placing the ball inside the 10 and preventing long returns due to the height of his kicks.

The Bears should have an excellent chance of making it 3 wins in a row when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Bears QB Caleb Williams will throw for 250 yards and 2 TDs

The Bears have given their rookie quarterback a full load of responsibility in his first year. They established early in training camp that the rookie would be the team's QB1, and most of training camp was spend building up the Heisman Trophy winner from USC.

It seemed that head coach Matte Eberflus was taking a tone with the rookie quarterback that would have angered founder George Halas or legendary coach Mike Ditka. That's because HBO's Hard Knocks cameras showed the coach basically telling Williams how great he was and how much he could accomplish with the Bears.

Those legendary leaders would have been much more demanding of any first-year player, especially a talented quarterback with a big reputation.

The Eberflus strategy may be working because Williams and the Bears seem to be getting better every game. In Chicago's 36-10 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Week 5, Williams had his best game of the year. He completed 20 0f 29 passes for 304 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.

That last number is the one that should make most Bears fans the happiest. It's clear that Williams has the arm talent to make any throw required, but it is his decision making that has to reach a high level if the Bears are going to have a winning record and possibly make the playoffs.

The Bears would like to see his decision making continue to improve. Williams has completed 107 of 170 passes for 1,091 yards with 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions throughout the first five games of his career.

He should be able to diagnose the Jaguars defense and find open receivers on a consistent basis. The growth of the rookie quarterback continues.

Rome Odunze delivers 5 receptions for 85 yards and 1 TD

The Bears had a game plan during last year's draft. They wanted to give the offense a lift with their two first-round draft choices. In addition to selecting Williams, they also picked up Rome Odunze with their second first-round draft pick.

Odunze has all the tools to be successful on a long-term basis in the NFL. He has excellent size at 6-3 and 215 pounds, and the kind of speed and moves to get away from solid cover men.

He also has excellent agility that allows him to high point the football and make contested catches. In addition to winning the battle for the ball, he is also capable of making the toe tap and staying inbounds when he is close to the sidelines.

Odunze had his most productive game in the Week 3 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He caught 6 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in a game that saw the Bears fight valiantly but come up short.

Odunze has caught 15 passes for 206 yard and 1 TD through his first five games and he is getting more familiar with his responsibilities on the Chicago offense. He should be poised to have his best game of the year against the Jaguars.

Defense limits Jaguars to 10 points

The Bears may have to deal with some up and down games from their offense since two of their key players are rookies, but the defense is likely to bring it every game.

The defense features two big-hitting linebackers in Edwards and Edmunds. Edwards is the team's leading tackler with 40 stops and he also has 3 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery. Edmunds is fourth on the team with 28 tackles and he also has 1.0 sack and 2 tackles for loss. Edmunds has contributed 2 passes defensed, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.

These two will make life miserable for Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne.

The secondary will also do its part and deliver blanket coverage against Jacksonville's receivers.