The Chicago Bears (3-8) will head to New Jersey to face the struggling New York Jets (6-4) at MetLife Stadium. It will be a weird game as the Jets have benched second-overall pick Zach Wilson in favor of backup Mike White, and the Bears might be without Justin Fields (left shoulder) due to injury.
Despite being 6-4 and fighting for a playoff spot, the Jets have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, and it’s why they benched Wilson. However, the problem isn’t just at quarterback. New York struggles to run the ball since star runningback Breece Hall went on the IR in week seven.
Chicago has a great chance to beat New York (even without Justin Fields) in what will likely be an ugly, low-scoring game. Here are three reasons to be optimistic heading into Week 12.
1
The Jets offense is struggling
Last week, the Jets offense only gained 103 total yards against New England, leading to New York benching quarterback Zach Wilson in favor of 2018 fifth-round pick Mike White. The Jets hope White can re-energize the offense, but he has a 1-2 record in three career starts.
The switch from Wilson was shocking since the Jets selected him second overall in 2021, but in his last five starts, he’s averaging 163 net passing yards and has only thrown three touchdowns.
New York has also been unable to run the ball successfully since rookie running back Breece Hall went on the IR in Week 7. The Jets averaged 117.0 rushing yards per game before his injury. Now, they only average 94.6 yards.
2
New York is one of the worst teams on third down
The Jets only convert 32.4% of third-down attempts, ranking 29th in the NFL. New York’s poor success on third down is helpful for the Bears, who have struggled to stop teams on third down.
The Jets are the second-worst third-down offense the Bears have faced this season behind the Houston Texans. Earlier this year, Chicago beat the Texans 23-20, giving hope that they will get stops against New York and have a chance to win the game.
3
Bears will be facing Jets backup QB Mike White
Don’t buy the Mike White hype. There’s a reason he isn’t the Jets starting quarterback — he’s not good. There will be pregame hype that builds around the backup quarterback and how he completed 82% of his passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But what might go unsaid is that two weeks later, against Buffalo, he only completed 55% of his passes and threw four interceptions and zero touchdowns in a 45-17 loss ending his three-week run as the Jets starter.
