Chicago Bears @ Baltimore Ravens – Week 8 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (4-2) took care of business against a bad Saints team at Soldier Field Sunday for their fourth consecutive victory. The defense created four turnovers and a strong running attack converted them into enough points to win comfortably. Chicago heads back on the road trying to keep the good times going against a desperate Baltimore squad.
Things have gone badly for the perennially contending Ravens (1-5) in 2025 with just one win through their first six games. Surprisingly, it’s the defense that has been the real culprit with this horrible beginning. Opponents are scoring 32.3 points per game against John Harbaugh’s team which is worst in the NFL.
Injuries to Baltimore’s secondary have made them vulnerable to the pass but the return of safety Kyle Hamilton should mitigate that somewhat. The run defense hasn’t been much better allowing 134.3 yards a game through six contests.
The big story offensively for the Ravens has been a hamstring injury to former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson which has kept him out of the last two games. Backup QB Cooper Rush struggled mightily replacing him in a pair of lopsided defeats. Jackson is officially listed as questionable for this week, although, with the season hanging by a thread it’s hard to believe he won’t at least try to play.
The other big piece of the Baltimore attack is running back Derrick Henry who got 169 yards in his first game but surpassed the 100 yard mark in only one of the next five games. Another key contributor, speedy wide receiver Zay Flowers is always a threat to blow the top off the defense, especially with Chicago missing Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson in the secondary.
Despite their record, the Ravens are a talented team and they know they have to win if they want any chance to make the postseason. This is far from an easy game for the Bears, that being said, it’s absolutely a game they can win. Last year they fell apart after a 4-2 beginning, it’s time to find out if it will be a different outcome in 2025.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, October 26 at 12:00pm CT on CBS, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Don’t let Henry beat you. Even if Jackson plays he won’t be 100%, so they will try to lean on their big running back. Keeping him contained will make it much easier to win.
- Get Caleb Williams and the passing attack going. The Ravens secondary has been easy to exploit so far and Chicago needs to keep that up.
- Be on the lookout for turnovers. Baltimore has 10 turnovers this season and have created only three. The Bears have been very opportunistic so far in 2025 and they should get more chances in this one.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Ravens are favored by 6.5 points at home against the Bears Sunday. Vegas expects a high-scoring affair with an over/under set at 49.5.
It’s Football Weather
The forecast for M&T Bank Stadium Sunday afternoon is 59 degrees and partly cloudy with almost no wind.
My Prediction
The Ravens are going to be highly motivated to avoid falling completely out of the playoff race. The Bears will need to have a good performance to hang in the game. It’s going to be a bit of a shootout but Baltimore will pull it out at the end for a 34-31 victory.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Bears-Ravens game from the NFL.
