The Indianapolis Colts host the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium in NFL Week 3 action on Sunday.
Indianapolis is a slight favorite, according to BetMGM, but only by a point. The Colts will be without DeForest Buckner, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Another key member of the defense, rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu, injured his hip and his status is in question against Chicago.
Will the Colts win their first game of the 2024 season? Experts are split.
Colts vs Bears picks, predictions for NFL Week 3
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Colts 23-20
The Bears are on the road for a second straight week and they are facing a desperate 0-2 team. The Colts have been gashed in the run game the past few weeks, which could mean a lot of D'Andre Swift. Both Anthony Richardson and Caleb Williams have to play better, but this is a tough spot for Richardson. Even so, I think he plays the better of the two.
Mike Florio and Chris Simms, Pro Football Talk: Colts 17-13 (Florio), Colts 20-17 (Simms)
The Bears haven’t done enough offensively to secure our trust.
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: Colts 23-20
Two struggling offenses. CHI can't protect rookie QB Caleb Williams (nine sacks), and Bears have worst yards-per-play in league. And Indy's Anthony Richardson already has let fly four INTs. Teams can run on Colts, but De'Andre Swift has been stuck in mud. So we'll anxiously trust Nags in home dome in near pick-'em game.
Dan Parr, NFL.com: Bears 21-17
What's the best remedy for a Bears offensive line that was embarrassedby the Texans? Well, it could be this matchup. If an O-line is getting obliterated in pass protection -- and, oh, did Houstondo some obliteratinglastSunday night-- you might as well try running the ball ... over and over again. Fortunately for Chicago (and probablyCaleb Williams' well-being), the Colts rank dead last in the league in run defense and allow 5.1 yards per carry (fifth-most in the NFL). Indianapolis knew a run-heavy offense was going to be in the cards against theJordan Love-less Packersin Week 2and still couldn't do anything about it, with Green Bay racking up 261 yards on the ground. That was a week after the Texansran roughshod over Indyfor 213 yards. Plus, the Colts are going to be without their best defender, DLDeForest Buckner, who was placed oninjured reserve this week. That's not going to help matters. The door is wide open for Bears OC Shane Waldron to put a much better plan together for Week 3. I fear for Caleb's rookie year if Waldron can't figure out how to make hay at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Colts 20-17
The Bears will have to protect Caleb Williams better. He has taken league-high nine sacks in two games, but they can keep it on the ground against a bad rushing defense that has allowed 237 yards per game through two weeks. The Colts have issues, too, but Anthony Richardson will make a few big plays at home to help Indianapolis avoid a 0-3 start. Williams makes it a coin flip with the possibility of late-game heroics, but we'll take the home team.
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: Bears 23-20
Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams doesn't look comfortable in the pocket. He's thrown two interceptions with a 56.1 percent completion rate and has taken nine sacks (tiedwith Gardner Minshew II for most in the league).
The Bears offensive line has to protect Williams better to see him play up to the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick. That said, the Bears should game-plan to attack the Indianapolis Colts' league-worst run defense (in total yards).
On Tuesday, the Colts placed All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve, which is a big blow to their front line. The Colts' inability to stop the run, coupled with Buckner's injury, could spell trouble for the home team. Sobleski thinks the Bears will ride their run game to victory.
The Colts defense is exactly what the Bears offense needs to see right now. While Chicago is struggling, particularly along its offensive line, Indianapolis currently features the league's second-worst defense. In fact, Gus Bradley's unit is dead last in rushing yards allowed by a rather large margin.
To make matters worse, the Colts placed their best defensive player, Buckner, on injured reserve this week because of a balky ankle. The group already lost its top corner, JuJu Brents, to season-ending injured reserve.
Furthermore, safety Julian Blackmon didn't play last weekend because of a shoulder ailment. The Bears should be able to get their run game going, which will open up things for Caleb Williams.
Jack Daugherty, Yardbarker: Bears 24-21
The Bears should be 0-2 based on how inept their offense has looked through two weeks. Chicago ranks dead last in the NFL in yards per play (3.0) and passing yards per game (99.0). Caleb Williams should have a better performance against a Colts defense that allowed Malik Willis to go 12/14 for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Anthony Richardson had a poor passing performance last week, as he completed only 50 percent of his attempts and threw three picks. That might not improve this week against a strong Bears defense.
Matt Modi, Newsweek: Bears win
Neither Chicago nor Indianapolis have looked good offensively to start the season. For this game, we'll go with the Bears defense making the difference against second-year Colts QB Anthony Richardson. He has had some highlight-reel throws, but has also completed just 49 percent of his passes this year, with four interceptions and two fumbles.
When do the Colts play in Week 3?
1 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
What channel are the Colts on against the Bears?
TV: CBS, Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Tiki Barber (analysis), Jason McCourty (analysis) and AJ Ross (sideline reporting)
Radio: 93.5, 97.1, 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (analysis) and Larra Overton (sideline reporting)
Streaming: SiriusXM Channels 813,Fubo (free trial), Paramount+
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