The Chicago Bears enter Week 8 as one of the hottest teams in the NFL after having run off four consecutive victories to improve to 4-2 on the season. While there are no guarantees in the NFL, the possibility of that streak being extended to five games with a win over the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday is looking better with every passing second.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens have ruled out former MVP Lamar Jackson as he continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury he suffered during Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. This means that Tyler "Snoop" Huntley will take over QB1 duties for this matchup, jumping Cooper Rush on the depth chart.
Bears Catch Major Break Ahead of Week 8 Showdown in Baltimore
While it isn't a direct indicator of who is going to come out on top when the final second ticks off the clock, the betting lines for Sunday afternoon's showdown between the Bears and Ravens have taken a significant swing in Chicago's direction. As Schefter noted in his report for ESPN, the spread has moved a full eight points in favor of the Bears now that Jackson has been ruled out. After opening the day as a 6.5-point underdog at M&T Bank Stadium, Chicago is now considered a 1.5-point favorite.
Having Jackson limited to watching from the sidelines is undoubtedly an early win for Ben Johnson and the Bears. Don't expect Chicago to take Baltimore lightly, though, as this is as healthy as the Ravens will be in weeks, despite Jackson's absence, and the AFC power still has plenty of talent on the roster for the Bears to contend with.
Jackson's absence will be the talking point heading into this game, as it rightfully should be. One lesser-discussed topic will be that this matchup will present Bears QB Caleb Williams with his second "homecoming" game in the last two weeks. While Williams is a native of Washington, D.C., this Sunday's game against the Ravens will take place less than 40 miles away from where the top pick in the 2024 draft made a name for himself as an elite signal-caller at Gonzaga College High School.
After putting together one of his best performances of the season, thus far, in Chicago's comeback win over the Washington Commanders just two weeks ago, it isn't out of the question to expect for Williams to rise to the moment, once again, and put on a show for his friends and family who will undoubtedly be making the short trip up I-95.
Expect to see Ben Johnson put Williams in positions to make plays down the field in the early going, as the best way for the Bears to attack this matchup is by doing whatever it takes to get an early lead. The more predictable this Ravens offensive attack is with Huntley under center, the better off Chicago's defense will fare at slowing Baltimore down and providing the Bears offense with shorter fields to work against.