Bears-Seahawks Preview: Analysis and Prediction

The Bears travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks this weekend, in what should be a pretty good football showdown in the rainiest city in the USA.

Here is your quick-hit viewer’s guide and Jerod’s pick from this week’s NFL TV schedule and point spread post:

Chicago Bears (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

• Bears-Seahawks Date: Sunday, September 27th
• Bears-Seahawks Time: 4:05 ET
• Bears-Seahawks TV Network: Dick Stockton and Charles Davis
• Bears-Seahawks Announcers: FOX
• Bears-Seahawks Point Spread: Bears -2.5
• Bears-Seahawks Over-Under: 37
• Bears-Seahawks Pick by Jerod: Poor Matt Hasselbeck. He just can’t seem to stay healthy anymore. If he were healthy and playing, I think they’d be a good bet to win and certainly to cover 2.5 points. However, I think last week’s win was a big confidence builder for Jay Cutler and the Bears. And after seeing what Frank Gore did to Seattle last week, Matt Forte will no doubt be ready for his 2009 breakout game. I think he gets it, and I think the Bears win by a TD. Bears-Seahawks free spread pick: Bears -2.5 (for the record, I’m already re-thinking this one…Seattle is tough to beat at home. But the absence of Hasselbeck seals it. Bears, minus the points, final answer.)

Bears-Seahawks Analysis

The Bears are coming off of a spectactular and uplifting win against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The #1 question for the Bears right now is when will Matt Forte put up some decent numbers? So far Forte has been shut down, and is only averaging 2.2 yds per carry. There still isn’t any need to worry though because the two teams he played have very good run defenses.

The Seahawks are ranked 26th in the league in run defense. Forte is set up to run over 100 yards this Sunday. A good running game means less pressure on the QB, which will be greatly needed because Jay Cutler has his work cut out for him. The Seahawks pass defense is ranked 2nd in the league. Passing against this defense will be tough, but Forte can help significantly if he can find the holes the O-line setup.

Bears fans liked seeing Cutler bounce back in Week 2 after a horrid Week 1, but will this just be another Good-Cutler, Bad-Cutler deal? Just like what happened with Rex Grossman? Chicago fans sure hope not.

The new player to look for is rookie WR Johnny Knox. He has created a stir around the NFL for showing great speed and catching ability. The Bears could have found a sleeper in this kid. Keep an eye out for him.

The Seahawks might have lost Hasselback again due to a rib injury. If Hasselback doesn’t play, Seneca Wallace will start for Seattle. Wallace started some games last year, and isn’t that bad of a QB, but losing Hasselback is a huge loss for a team that heavily relies on their QB. Seattle might have to find a way to win without Hasselback, a task that might prove fatal.

The Seahawks best bet is their running game. While it’s not great, it has been consistent, averaging 116.5 yds per game. If the running game doesn’t get going it puts more pressure on the passing game, a section that already is weakened.

Bears-Seahawks prediction: the loss of Hasselback is just do much for the Seahawks to recover from. Bears win 21-14.

Bears-Packers Rivalry To Renew at Lambeau: Preview and Prediction

After all of the games are played Sunday afternoon, there will be one remaining – and it’s the oldest rivalry in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will meet for the 178th time Sunday night at Lambeau Field. It will also be the 21st time the two teams have met in the season opener.

The storied teams split last year’s series, with the Packers routing the Bears at home 37-3, while the Bears escaped with a 20-17 overtime win on a frigid December night at Soldier Field. (I should know. I was there.)

Before we break down the two rosters, here are the particulars for Sunday night’s Packers-Bears matchup:

Chicago Bears (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0)

• Bears-Packers Date: Sunday, September 13th
• Bears-Packers: TV & Kickoff Time: 8:30 ET on NBC
• Bears-Packers: Location: Lambeau Field in Green Bay
• Bears-Packers: Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Bears-Packers: Point Spread: GB -3.5
• Bears-Packers: Over-Under: 46.5
• StubHub: Packers-Bears tickets – Week 1 in Lambeau
• StubHub: all Green Bay Packers tickets
• StubHub: all Chicago Bears tickets
• StubHub: all 2009 NFL tickets

This year brings with it a lot of questions for both teams:

1. How will Green Bay adapt to its new 3-4 defensive scheme under new coordinator Dom Capers? 
2. How will Jay Cutler do in his new city with less-than-average receivers? 
3. Can Aaron Rodgers build on last year, when he threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns? 
4. Will Cutler’s big arm mean more passing from the Bears offense? 
5. Will Ryan Grant return to his 2007 form, or was that just an anomaly?

The questions go on, and most will be answered, at least in the short term, Sunday night.

The Packers have been downright dominant in the preseason, posting a 3-1 record — the same as the Bears — with the first-team offense scoring touchdowns on nine of 13 possessions. The Packers were 3-0 before dropping the backup-filled finale to Tennessee.

The Pack seem to have a slight edge at quarterback, mainly because Cutler’s effectiveness is a relative unknown with receivers such as Earl Bennett, Devin Aromashodu, Rashied Davis and rookies Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias. The supposed top receiver for the Bears is Devin Hester, who is still learning the ropes on offense bytdefinitely trumps any return specialist the Packers have.

The Packers certainly have a huge edge is at wideout. Aaron Rodgers has a plethora of weapons, including Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jordy Nelson. Jennings, in fact, just might be emerging as the best player from the 2006 draft. Add Donald Lee and Jermichael Finley at tight end, and it makes the weapons pool even deeper for Rodgers.

The Bears have their own talented tight end in third-year player Greg Olsen, but neither Desmond Clark, Michael Clark, nor Kellen Davis give Chicago a 1-2 punch at tight end like Lee and Finley.

The running back edge belongs to Chicago, mainly because the versatile Matt Forte can flat out carry the rock and is effective catching passes out of the backfield. The second-year stud from Tulane ran for 1,238 yards last year to set a new franchise record for rookie tailbacks. Adrian Peterson is a nice change-of-pace back for Chicago, which recently lost Kevin Jones for the season.

Green Bay has plenty of runners, but none with the talent of Forte. Ryan Grant did eclipse 1,200 yards last year, but averaged less than four yards per carry. If he can get that number back up this year, the Packers will be all right. Spelling him in the backfield will be Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn.

Both teams have solid offensive lines, which they’ll need against the aggressive defenses they’ll see on Sunday night. Despite finishing the year 6-10, the Packers led the NFL in defensive touchdowns last season. Where they struggled was in the pass rush, something the new 3-4 scheme is supposed to remedy. Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris are two of the best in the business, and safety Nick Collins was a Pro Bowl selection in 2008.

Chicago has another aggressive unit led by linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. If they can control the middle, the Bears can exert their will on pretty much any team. Green Bay’s backers are also good with Nick Barnett, A.J Hawk, Brandon Chillar, rookie Clay Matthews, and now Aaron Kampman added to the mix as an outside linebacker.

Kampman led the Packers with 9.5 sacks last season, his first year without registering double-digit sacks since 2005. If the Packers can get some pressure on Cutler, it could be curtains for the Bears.

It’s hard to overlook that Green Bay led last year’s game in Chicago 14-3 before imploding and handing the game back to Chicago. The Packers were clearly the more talented team last season, and look to be again this year.

Green Bay wins its home opener by beating up on the Bears, 31-13.

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* – Brian Urlacher getting owned photo credit: Mouth Piece Sports

Jay Cutler, Matt Forte Impress During First Home Preseason Game for Chicago Bears

It was a big day for Jay Cutler and Bears fans Saturday night, the night Cutler made his Solider Field debut in front of thousands of screaming fans. After a below average performance last week, fans were hoping to see a much better Cutler this week, and a better Cutler is what they got.

What Bears fans haven’t had in any other QB of recent vintage is one that can actually run away from rushing defenders. Cutler showed his mobility Saturday as he was able to get out of a collapsing pocket to make a 14-yard run. This is something that Cutler is really good at doing, and Bears fans will love him for it.

Matt Forte made his preseason debut Saturday, and it looked nothing like his first day on the field in around eight months. Forte blew through defenders and found holes like the Giants were handing them to him. Forte finished off a great drive, that included a 17-yard run, with a 34-yard TD.

Forte was pretty much untouched during the TD run. Don’t give all the credit to Forte though. He deserves a lot of it, but the O-line is obviously a key in having a good running game and they opened up the lanes for Forte to take advantage of.

The hole was there,” Forte said. “The O-line did a great job of creating that running lane. I stretched it and I saw the safety come down and just made one cut and took it up the field.”

There were also other players that played really well Saturday.

Earl Bennett had a spectacular day. He had 2 catches for 42 yds. It was really nice to see Bennett get some catches in there. He can be a threat now that he has Cutler throwing to him.

Additionally, Caleb Hanie is still playing really well. He went 10 for 18 while throwing for 120 yds. Hanie is showing to be a good backup QB even though Don Banks of SI thinks Hanie is the worst backup QB in the NFL. I now would have to disagree with Banks there. Yes, Hanie has no real experience, but he has shown he can play the position very well in what we have seen of him so far.

One player I was disappointed in was Devin Hester. He missed a perfectly good throw to him that would have been a TD if he didn’t slow down and actually caught the ball. He had the defense beat by a good six yds. It just showed that Hester needs a little more time to become a deep threat.

The Bears play Denver at Denver next week, and boy should that be a fun game to watch. Orton against Cutler. It will be a must see game just to find out which QB performs the best. Cutler will sure get booed at Denver.

The real problem the Bears have is the Vikings. With their pickup of Farve, the Vikings are on their way to maintaining their stronghold on the division. Still, Saturday’s preseason game contained a lot of positives that should have Bears fans at least feeling like their team can compete. And at this stage of the preseason, that’s really about all you can as for.

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* – Jay Cutler / Matt Forte photo credit: Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune / August 8, 2009 via CLTV.com

Chicago Bears Wide Receivers Not Given Enough Credit

More than not I see a lot of comments saying that Jay Cutler has no one to throw to. This really makes me angry. Yes, the Bears don’t have a lights out receiver, but their receivers aren’t that terrible.

The Bears’ first string WR is Devin Hester, a return man turned WR. At first I didn’t agree with the change, but now that the Bears have committed him to at the WR position, Hester has shown a lot of improvment. He is a big threat downfield, and even more now because he has a QB that can hit him farther down the field.

The Bears also have one of the greatest route-running and receiving tight ends in the game today. Greg Olsen has produced great numbers throughout his tenure with the Bears. He has 7 career TDs and his receptions increase every year. He was a great pick in the 2007 draft and his numbers will only improve.

Matt Forte is one of the great all-around running backs in the game. He can run, catch, and block. What a gem from the 2nd round. His catching abilities are one of his greatest assests. He can be counted on to get that extra yard or block that blitzing corner back. Forte is one of the best athlete in the league.

And how can we forget Desmond Clark? He might not produce amazing numbers, but he can be counted on every time his number is called. He is also a great blocking tight end. Clark is the veteran every team should have.

Rookie WR Juaqin Iglesias will need a few years to transition to the NFL, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make an impact this year. He is a sure-handed WR who can run routes very well. Look for him to be a sleeper, as soon as this season.

So I don’t want to hear how the Bears don’t have any good receivers. The offense is a great one that can produce touchdowns. The defense, in fact, needs to be tweaked more than the offense. I am glad Lovie is back to calling the plays and with all of the potential that this team possesses, It seems like it will be an interesting Chicago Bears season in 2009.

BEAR DOWN!!!

* – Devin Hester/Matt Forte photo credit: Paul Sancya / Associated Press via NFL.com

The Anchor’s Desk with Scott Reister: Never Too Early For Fantasy Football Talk

As unpredictable as the NFL is (Cards NFC Champs?), your Fantasy Football Draft may be even crazier. A year ago, Matt Forte was about as well known as you were when it came to NFL running backs. Now, he’s a first round FFL pick, possibly two overall.

Take a look at a recent mock draft by some so-called “experts.”

http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball/story/11789125

What the $#%@?

It seems crazy to have guys like Steve Slaton, DeAngelo Williams and Chris Johnson going in Round One, but believe it or not, those guys had the best stats in 2008.

A bunch of little known dudes (others include Tim Hightower, Le’Ron McClain) delivered huge points, while name-brand stars (Tomlinson, Gore) fizzled and “F-ed” you over.

What have we learned? Find out who the super-fast rookies are, see if they are healthy and atop the depth chart, and pull the trigger.

More and more, random wild-card players are taking over fantasy football, meaning you have to do more research before your draft, and watch the waiver-wire like a hawk.

Hell, Forte wasn’t even drafted in most leagues last year and now the CHI RB is projected to go #2 overall. Looking at mock drafts this year, I notice they look NOTHING like they did last year. The exception is Adrian Peterson going in the top 2. This year he is number one and about the closest “sure thing” you’ll get.

The other first rounders that won’t screw you over include ATL RB Michael Turner (great offense w/ Matt Ryan) and ARI WR Larry Fitzgerald (once the top RBs are off the board). Tom Brady is a risky pick in Round One, and no other QB needs to go that high.

When it’s your turn to make a pick, and you’re deciding between an older guy who is the safer choice, and a younger guy like Beanie Wells or Ray Rice…go young! The NFL stands for Not For Long, just ask Shawn Alexander.

Playing it safe won’t win your league. So pick young, fast, and use that waiver wire. Today’s nobodies will win your league for you and end up atop next year’s mocks.

Note:
QBs and Kickers are the two positions where this logic doesn’t apply. Experience is good here. With QBs, always go for the highest number of TD passes. It’s way more important than yards.

Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans. He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.

To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com

Chicago Bears: Team Effort in Victory Over Philadelphia Eagles

by Sean Kane

A second NFC east beast was toppled on Sunday. No one thought that coming out of this weekend that the Cowboys and Eagles would see losses from the Redskins and the Bears. The old adage, however, “Defense wins championships” proved true. The Skins held the Cowboys offense off the field, keeping the football in Jason Campbell’s hands for 38 minutes. The defense came up with big stops in the second half batting down balls directed at TO and getting a timely INT from Romo. They controlled the game, then grabbed a break when Sam Hurd couldn’t handle a well placed onside kick. The Skins showed a lot of good stuff and played a perfectly executed game and got the ‘W’.

Well, the Bears got the W. There was some good stuff but there was some bad stuff, too.

… Continue Reading

Chicago Bears: Lose Home Opener to Tampa Bay

by Sean Kane

Well, it was interesting to watch two almost identical teams face off in Soldier Field today at 12 pm Central Time. Both the Bucs and the Bears sit at 1-1. Both the Bucs and the Bears have showed some potential but nothing stunning. Both the Bears and the Bucs will be lucky to make the playoffs this year. Both the Bucs and Bears are teams with tough defenses that are required to play well in order to win. Both the Bucs and Bears have the same man under center, more or less.

Brian Griese and Kyle Orton are basically the same guy: Big Ten QBs that because of being inconsistently not bad at managing games are still in position to start games. Having worked together last year in the Chicago, it’s clear that Griese rubbed off on Orton letting him know that with one decently managed drive, you can hold a job in Chicago. Then, even when they’re done with you, you can get picked up by somebody else whose front office isn’t trying to make constructive moves under center.

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Chicago Bears: Matt Forte Leads Improved Offense

by Sean Kane

This Just In: The Bears’ offense is slightly better than as terrible as they thought we would be.

The Bears showed an offense with pieces in place to be competitive but it is surprising that Chicago offensive production, predicted to be worse than the defense, would be able to put up the numbers they have. They put up a surprising fight against a tough Carolina squad in the first half showing flashes of real potential that shocked the Colts last week but the let down in the second half revealed a more realistic flipside.

What’s the difference creating a plus side? We had the same QB last year, virtually the same offensive line, plus a rookie, a receiving corps that definitely didn’t improve with the loss of Muhammed and Berrian; the answer is number 22.

The addition of Matt Forte seems to be the gas that is making the Bears move down the field.

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