The New York Giants (2-1) close out a three-game home stand when they host the Chicago Bears (2-1) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday afternoon.
Here are five things to know about Week 4.
The series
The Bears and Giants will meet for the 55th time in the regular season on Sunday with the Bears holding a 31-21-2 record in the all-time series, which goes back to 1925. The two teams last met in 2022 with Chicago earning a 29-3 victory at Soldier Field in Week 17.
The Giants are 13-18-2 against Chicago at home (including postseason). The two teams last met at MetLife on December 2, 2018, with the Giants winning, 30-27, in overtime.
Chicago is 5-3 on the road against Big Blue since the start of the Super Bowl era (1970-present). Their first win came in Week 1 of that season, a 24-16 victory at Yankee Stadium.
Two first-year head coaches meet
Both teams have new head coaches this year. The Bears hired former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus this past off season to replace Matt Nagy.
Eberlus, 52, was a college linebacker at Toledo and then coached defense there from 1992-2000. He moved on to Missouri for eight seasons before landing jobs in the NFL with Cleveland and Dallas. He was the Colts’ DC from 2018-21.
The Giants hired Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll this past offseason, moving on from Joe Judge. The 47-year-old Daboll is a five-time Super Bowl champion as a member of Bill Belichick’s staff in New England and also won a CFP National Championship as an assistant at Alabama.
Where the two teams stand heading into Week 4
The Bears and Giants are two of the league’s top rushing teams. The Bears lead the NFC in rushing with 560 yards. The Giants are third with 508 (Detroit is second with 511).
Conversely, the Bears are last in the NFL in passing with just 297 yards. The Giants aren’t much better. They are 29th with 560 yards.
The teams have both played decent defense. The Bears are allowing 19.0 points per game. The Giants have allowed 19.7 PPG. The Giants are ranked 16th in total defense. Chicago is 20th.
Who are these Bears?
Chicago’s offense is led by second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who the Bears selected with the draft pick (No. 11 overall) the Giants traded them during the 2021 NFL draft.
Fields is one the worst producing quarterbacks in the NFL thus far this season. He is ranked 30th overall and is completing only 51 percent of his passes.
The running game is buoyed by the combination of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Montgomery (knee, ankle) is unlikely to play and Herbert will seek to build on his strong Week 3 performance (157 yards, two touchdowns).
The receivers haven’t gotten a lot of opportunities thus far but there are several talented players in the group such as wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown and tight end Cole Kmet.
The defense is led by linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive end Robert Quinn and safety Eddie Jackson.
Giants will wear legacy uniforms
The Giants will follow up their “white-out” night against the Cowboys last week by wearing their ‘legacy’ uniform against Chicago this week.
“The classic uniform, which the team wore from 1980-99, starts at the top with the return of the navy helmet, providing a base for the white facemask, solid scarlet red stripe, classic numbers, side decals, and a raised wordmark – all reminiscent of the ‘80s and ‘90s style. Meanwhile, the red and blue trim on the jerseys and pants are all done in a color palette from that era.
The Giants also accented the inside of the collar with the timeless words of late owner Wellington Mara: “Once a Giant, Always a Giant.””
“This era obviously still holds a special place in the hearts of Giants fans,” Giants President John Mara said. “Our teams during that time featured legendary players, some of the best in our franchise’s history. And these uniforms remind us of what was accomplished through those years. We are thrilled to wear that uniform again.”
The Giants will also wear the legacy uniform for their December 4 game against Washington.
