Chargers vs. Bears Week 8: Bolts eyeing Sunday Night Football as must-win matchup

The Chargers and Bears each need a win on Sunday Night Football if they hope to salvage a slow start to the 2023 season.

The Chargers (2-5) and Bears (2-5) will meet this week in a matchup between two teams sporting an underwhelming record despite having many reasons coming into the season to believe they’d be better off at this point. As of writing this, the Chargers are still 8.5-point favorites, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

Each club boasts a quarterback named Justin with elite athletic traits who was drafted in the top-10 of their respective draft class. Each one carries the weight of the franchise on their shoulders and the media won’t let either forget it depending on how well their latest performance went.

The Bears spent big in free agency this year by adding names like Tremaine Edmunds at linebacker, D.J. Moore at wide receiver, and Nate Davis at offensive guard. So far, the investments aren’t paying off. Chicago has flashed on offense in their wins, but defensively, like the Chargers, they’re struggling to stop opposing passing attacks.

If I had to pick one — without any bias — I believe the Chargers need this win much more than the Bears. It’s year three for Brandon Staley after taking over a near-contender while it’s only year two of Matt Eberflus’ journey in trying to turn around the fortunes of one of the league’s blue-blood franchises.

To see which team gets the head start on pivoting their team’s downward path, tune in for this week’s edition of Sunday Night Football.