The Chicago Bears will welcome the New York Jets to Soldier Field in Week 4, looking to build off the momentum they picked up in their big win over the Philadelphia Eagles this past Monday. Chicago is right back in the mix of teams rising up the rankings and while it'll be a fun reunion for Ben Johnson taking on his former colleague in Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, as the two spent time together in Detroit, the Bears can't afford to take any weeks off.
Chicago's matchup against the Jets serves as a great opportunity for the Bears to keep themselves atop the NFC North race, and having to maintain their winning ways while Caleb Williams is out injured. There are plenty of narratives to follow in this matchup, most of which help pave the immediate
future for the Bears in this game and beyond, which makes New York a perfect opponent for them to figure out those specific answers.
Here are the top storylines to follow in Week 4 as the Bears host the Jets on Sunday:
Who starts at quarterback?
It is the biggest question coming into Sunday, if the Bears will ride the hot hand of veteran Case Keenum or turn to Tyson Bagent to be under center. Following Keenum's incredible performance in the Week 3 win over Philadelphia, many believe the veteran will be the starter, but head coach Ben Johnson said postgame that Bagent was the team's No. 2 for a reason. Keeping his decision under wraps helps in the competitive advantage, and while the Bears are favored in the game, this decision will just be fun to monitor if they give Keenum another game. For what it's worth, Ian Rapoport noted that Bagent is expected to start but that Keenum has made things difficult for this coaching staff.
How will Jets overcome injuries?
New York will be without running back Breece Hall, wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, tight end Mason Taylor, and offensive guard Dylan Parham, significantly hampering their offensive unit. The Jets do have a respectable running back in place of Hall with Braelon Allen, but they're coming into the game ranking 30th in the league in rushing through three weeks, and the injuries will not help the cause in improving it. This could be an opportunity for the Bears defense to really get right and cut out the big plays.
Can Theo Benedet maintain at left tackle?
Braxton Jones left last week's game with an injury and is listed week-to-week, meaning that Theo Benedet will man the left tackle spot. The two men were rotating when healthy over the first three weeks, not necessarily something any team wants to do, but it got the job done. Now this is all on Benedet to protect the blindside of the quarterback and do so for the entire game. New York's head coach Aaron Glenn could focus his defense game plan to attack Benedet and see how he withstands the pressure.
Can the defense force more turnovers?
In their two victories this season, Chicago's defense has forced at least three takeaways and in their lone loss, they did not force any against the Minnesota Vikings. Chicago led the NFL in takeaways last season and while injuries have hurt them on defense, they're still finding ways to force turnovers. The Jets offense being down several key players could lead to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen getting more aggressive with his scheme and looking to cause havoc and force takeaways.
Will the running game get back on track?
Many expected the Bears to run the ball when Case Keenum took over as the starting quarterback last week, but the 38-year old veteran led a highly successful passing attack against the Eagles. It feels weird to say that the Bears struggled on the ground after putting up 128 rushing yards last week, but the operation and big plays were not as clean as normal. Both D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai will have their work cut out for them, as New York has only given up 87.3 rushing yards per game in the first few weeks of the regular season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 storylines to watch in Bears vs. Jets in Week 4 showdown
