Who wins Bengals vs. Bears?

Someone once said that there are three types of lies — lies, damn lies, and statistics.

Whoever decided that the Chicago Bears should be a three-point favorite to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday would probably agree.

Because nearly every statistic available after Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season tells a different story.

The Bengals are off to a 1-0 start after defeating a promising Minnesota Vikings team in the season opener by a score of 27-24. The Bears lost their opener to the Los Angeles Rams, and they didn’t even look good doing it, as the 34-14 final margin will attest.

Cincinnati’s offense ground out 366 yards against a solid Vikings defense and did not commit any turnovers, while Chicago managed 322 total yards and committed two turnovers, both by quarterback Andy Dalton, who threw an interception and lost a fumble.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed 20/27 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked five times. Dalton went 27/38 for 206 yards and absorbed three sacks.

Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase finished as the No. 11 receiver in the NFL after Week 1 on the strength of five receptions for 101 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown grab. Chicago did not have a receiver in the top 30.

The Bengals were No. 7 in rushing after Joe Mixon’s league-best 127-yard day. The Bears came in at No. 10 with David Montgomery accounting for 108 yards, including a long of 41.

Defensively, Chicago stood at No. 16 in total defense after the first week of the season. Cincinnati was No. 20 overall, but No. 6 against the run after yielding just 67 yards to Minnesota’s two-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, who finished second in the NFL in rushing in 2020 with 1,557 yards. The Bears were No. 8 against the run after yielding 74 yards in Week 1.

Newcomer B.J. Hill, who the Bengals grabbed from the New York Giants in a preseason trade for Billy Price, was tied for second in sacks with two, and Larry Ogunjobi had one. Chicago had two players, Robert Quinn and Akiem Hicks, with 1/2 sack each.

So you tell me. You have seen the stats, and you know the scores. Experts be damned. Who has the better team, and who is going to win Sunday’s matchup? You be the judge.

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