Another night of Monday Night Football and another matchup of losing teams. This game, though, pits a bad team with a strength against a bad team without much of anything. The San Diego Chargers have Philip Rivers, who is having an outstanding season, while the Chicago Bears are without Matt Forte. The Bears have lost two in a row, including a brutal overtime loss to the free-falling Detroit Lions, while the Chargers have lost four in a row.
‘Monday Night Football’ 2015 live stream: How to watch Bears vs. Chargers online
Philip Rivers continues to try to carry San Diego.
For San Diego, the problem is that it has nothing to complement Rivers. The running game is ranked 30th in the league, the passing defense is 28th and the run defense is last. In the four-game losing streak, Rivers has averaged 365 yards passing, but the running game has never reached triple figures and the Chargers have turned the ball over five times while only forcing one. To make matters worse for the offense, Kennan Allen was lost for the season with a lacerated kidney.
The Chargers are rotating Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead at tailback, but neither has been able to rush for 4.0 yards a carry. Woodhead, as always, is effective as a receiver out of the backfield, but San Diego already has plenty of pass catchers. It needs someone who can run the ball. Against Chicago, it might find someone. The Bears are allowing 4.7 yards per rush, 27th best in the NFL, while their pass defense is slightly better at 19th.
With Forte on the sidelines, it will be Jay Cutler who will have to step up for Chicago. He won't have Eddie Royal, but Alshon Jeffery and tight end Martellus Bennett should be able to get open against San Diego's poor secondary, especially with Marquess Wilson as a deep threat.
How to watch
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
Network: ESPN
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters
Online: WatchESPN
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