7 things to know heading into Bears-Dolphins in Week 9
The Chicago Bears (3-5) will face off against the Miami Dolphins (5-3) on Sunday, where the Bears are looking to build off a solid offensive showing in Week 8.
Chicago is coming off a 49-29 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (6-2), where Justin Fields and the offense scored a season-high in points and were able to move the ball up and down the field on a top-three Dallas defense. Meanwhile, Miami is coming off a 31-27 win over the Detroit Lions (1-6), where Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for nearly 300 yards.
Here are seven things to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 9 game against the Dolphins.
The series
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Miami leads the all-time series against Chicago, with a 9-4 record. The Dolphins have dominated, winning four of the last five meetings. The last time these two teams met, the Bears lost a heartbreaker 31-28 in Miami, where Brock Osweiler was the quarterback. Chicago’s last win in the series came back in 2010, where the Bears shut out the Dolphins, 16-0, in prime time.
How they stack up
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The Bears are averaging 19.4 points per game (23rd in NFL) while the Dolphins are averaging 22.3 (16th). Chicago has the best rushing attack in the league, averaging 188.4 yards on the ground. Miami is averaging 88.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks 28th. The Dolphins are averaging 292.5 passing yards per game (3rd) while the Bears have the worst passing game in the league averaging 126.9 passing yards per game.
Chicago is allowing 22.6 points per game (19th) while Miami is allowing 24 (22nd). The Bears have the fifth-best passing defense allowing 188 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are allowing 262.1 yards through the air (26th). Chicago’s run defense has struggled and is allowing 156 yards on the ground (31st). Miami’s defense is giving up 100.6 rushing yards per game (6th).
The Dolphins blueprint
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This matchup is intriguing for a lot of reasons, but perhaps even more so considering the Dolphins have the blueprint for success the Bears will no doubt look to replicate. Miami chose to surround their young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with what he needed to succeed — including left tackle Terron Armstead and receiver Tyreek Hill — and we’ve seen that pay dividends through the first eight weeks of the season. That’s what Bears GM Ryan Poles needs to do this offseason to help Justin Fields’ development. He made the first step in trading for receiver Chase Claypool, and indication the focus is shifting to prioritizing offense (and Fields) over defense.
Justin Fields is ascending
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Justin Fields has taken a huge step forward in his development over the last couple of weeks, where he’s impressing despite the circumstances around him. Fields has stacked back-to-back impressive outings against Bill Belichick’s Patriots and a top-three Cowboys defense — both on the road. Oh, and Fields has arguably bottom-three pass protection and receivers. Ever since Luke Getsy implemented designed QB runs, we’ve seen a more confident and comfortable Fields, who’s making defenses pay with his legs and arm. Now, he gets a new weapon in Chase Claypool, who should help open up the downfield passing attack. With the defense likely to struggle for the rest of the year, at least Bears fans get to watch Fields’ continue to develop over these final nine games.
Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle are a potent duo
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The Bears defense’s biggest challenge this Sunday will be contending with the likes of Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who have been on a tear this season. Hill and Waddle are both top-five in receiving this season, with Hill leading the way at 961 yards and Waddle at fourth with 727 yards. In last week’s win over the Lions, Hill and Waddle combined for 294 receiving yards. Safe to say, it could be a long day for cornerbacks Kindle Vildor and rookie Kyler Gordon.
Familiar faces in new places
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The Bears and Dolphins were both active ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday. For Chicago, that included trading away linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Robert Quinn. But they also made a move to acquire receiver Chase Claypool from the Steelers, giving Fields a legitimate receiver on offense.
For Miami, they went all-in with the acquisition of edge rusher Bradley Chubb, who signed a five-year, $110 million extension with the Dolphins on Thursday. They also traded for running back Jeff Wilson Jr., in an attempt to jumpstart what’s been an underwhelming rushing attack.
Betting odds
The Bears are betting underdogs for the seventh time this season. Chicago is a 4.5-point home underdog against the Dolphins, per Tipico Sportsbook. The over/under for the game is set at 45.5.
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