Final score prediction for the Bears vs. Chargers Week 8 Sunday night game

The Chicago Bears will take the national stage in Week 8 on Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers in a game featuring undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent.

Bagent Mania has been fun, even for Justin Fields truthers like myself. I’m a pro-Fields guy, but if Bagent has a strong showing for the second week in a row, the calls for him to remain in the starting lineup will grow louder, including mine.

Bagent faces a challenging task against a Chargers defense that hasn’t been great this year, but they also haven’t had much of a break. Their 2023 opponents have included the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Chiefs, three teams with explosive offenses. No one would confuse a Tyson Bagent-led Bears offense with what’s happening in Miami or Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City.

Still, the Chargers pass defense does rank 32nd in the NFL. They’re 29th in passing touchdowns allowed and 32nd in passing yards allowed per attempt. However, they still have Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, who’ve helped Los Angeles rank 3rd in sacks per game.

As much as I want to believe in Bagent, he’ll have to prove he can stand tall in the pocket and deliver completions with Mack and Bosa pinning their ears back. And because there still isn’t enough on film to have confidence Bagent can do it, 97% of experts picked the Chargers to win on NFL Pick Watch.

Bagent will be the headliner, but the real difference in the game will be Chicago’s defense and how it holds up against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The Bears’ defense is playing better in recent weeks, but it’s been against quarterbacks like Sam Howell and Brian Hoyer. Herbert, meanwhile, is a franchise-caliber passer who can slice and dice the best defenses in the NFL.

If coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t dial up pressure and make Herbert uncomfortable, it will be a long day for the Bears, regardless of how Bagent plays.

On paper, the Chargers are the better team. Their roster has better players. They have the better quarterback and a much more effective pass rush. But they’re 2-4 and haven’t looked good this season. It doesn’t matter what the names on the depth chart are, down years are common in the NFL, especially when coaches have lost the locker room. It’s unclear whether Brandon Staley is at that point, but there’s at least a sliver of hope that the Bears can pull off an upset.

A win would improve the Chicago Bears’ record to 3-5 and keep their season relevant into November. Bears fans never would’ve imagined a scenario like that a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, I don’t see it happening. Instead, I think the Bears will struggle to contain Herbert and as a result, will lose a relatively uncompetitive game, 31-17.

I hope I’m wrong.