You've stumbled into (Too) Bold Predictions, a weekly column that is exactly what it sounds like! Here, we'll take nuanced, well-researched information and use to make wildly improbable predictions. Analysis!
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1. Eddie Jackson will have an interception and at least two more passes defended.
Jackson talked about focusing on "plastering" receivers this week after he missed breaking up Aaron Rodgers' game-winning pass to Randall Cobb on Sunday. He has the best ball skills of anyone in the Bears' secondary, and the team remains confident in his aggressiveness trying to make plays. And he'll be presented with plenty of opportunities to "plaster" Seahawks receivers: Russell Wilson was pressured on 21 of his 42 passing plays against the Denver Broncos, and coupled with his mobility expect a good amount of broken plays outside the pocket. Jackson will respond with a big game, picking off one of those under-pressure, on-the-move throws by Wilson and will make a few more plays on the ball, too, to limit the Seahawks' effectiveness.
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2. Mitch Trubisky will throw the longest touchdown of his career...and it'll be to Taylor Gabriel.
To date, Trubisky's 46-yard heave to Josh Bellamy against the Packers last year is the longest touchdown pass of his career. Matt Nagy said the Bears built in some opportunities for downfield shots against the Packers on Sunday, but weren't able to take any of them. Expect Trubisky to stretch the field a few times on Monday night, but that's not necessarily where this score will come from. Gabriel had touchdowns good for 64 and 76 yards with the Atlanta Falcons, and we'll say the speedy wideout gets in position to gouge a diminishing Seahawks defense on Monday night.
1. Allen Robinson gets his first two TD receptions of the season.
Robinson showed flashes of the dynamism he brings to the Bears offense during the first half Sunday night, hauling in 4 catches for a team0high 61 yards -- including a 33-yarder:
It's clear that when the Bears' offense is humming, Robinson plays a crucial part. The fact that he was on the field for all but three (67 of 70) of the Bears' offensive plays bodes well for how well his surgically-reconstructed knee is holding up, too. Against the Packers Trubisky only averaged 4.9 yards per pass attempt and connected on just 33.3% of his deep passes, and after being criticized for their conservative second-half gameplan against Green Bay, my bet is that the Bears come out Monday night firing. Robinson's clearly Trubisky's most-trusted reciever at the moment, so I'm predicting an early touchdown in the 1st and then another in the 4th.
2. Roquan Smith outshines Khalil Mack
All the reports out of Halas Hall this week seem to indicate that we'll see a lot more Smith this week. After playing only eight snaps -- a telling number -- last week, it seems like the Bears coaching staff spent this week ramping up his workload:
All eyes will be on Mack this Monday, and rightfully so. We've already hammered home the point about how subpar the Seahawks' offense line is this week, so you can connect the two dots there. Watch what he does here against double-coverage:
Even if he hasn't wrestled the starting spot away from Nick Kwiatkoski just yet, I expect:
1. 2-3X as many snaps for Smith
2. The breakout game fans have been expecting, especially in pass coverage.