Sitting at 3-5 after the first eight weeks of the season, the Tennessee Titans have had an up and down year offensively.

Former first-round pick Jake Locker was expected to be the team’s long term starter, but following an injury on September 30th against the Houston Texans, he still has not been cleared to return, forcing veteran Matt Hasselbeck into the starting role.

In the six games he has played in this season, Hasselbeck has been mediocre, throwing for over 1,100 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. He doesn’t wow you with a perfect deep ball or have the ability to pick up big yardage with his feet, but he does all the little things right.  The Bears will try and bring pressure with their front four, something they have not done as well in recent weeks like they had earlier in the season.

After a slow start to the season, running back Chris Johnson is finally heating up.  In eight games this season, he has rushed for 595 yards on 131 carries with two touchdowns.  A combination of Johnson simply not playing well and a struggling offensive line got him off to a bad start, but they have found their stride of late, rushing for 385 yards in their last three games.

Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher will have his toughest task of the season going up against Johnson.

Urlacher’s play has improved since his knee injury at the end of last year caused him to miss plenty of time during training camp.  His ability to cover all areas of the field has decreased this year, but he has shown himself to be much more effective in recent weeks.

Expect the Titans and Johnson to try and test him early and often.

Following a breakout 2010 season in which he had 775 yards receiving and nine touchdowns, Kenny Britt was expected to become one of the league’s best young receivers. His 2011 season was cut short after just three games due to a knee injury. He was expected to be a big target for Locker but has struggled to find a rhythm with either quarterback.

In eight games this season, he has just 20 catches for 209 yards, good enough for fourth best on the team. His size and speed can be troublesome for opposing defenses, but he doesn’t appear to be 100 percent.  Charles Tillman will likely be saddled with the task of matching up against him and given his recent success against bigger receivers, he should be able to keep Britt at bay.

Nate Washington leads the team in yards (443) and yards per catch (15.8) and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns (three).  He has a penchant for the big play and will likely see a lot of Tim Jennings.  Expect the Bears to keep safety help over top to prevent him from burning them deep.

Rookie Kendall Wright has been impressive, hauling in a team high 40 catches and is tied with Washington for the lead in receiving touchdowns. His targets have been down in the last two games, only average seven looks in each but he has been effective when thrown to in the slot.  D.J. Moore will be matched up against him, and if he struggles, the Bears have shown they are not afraid to sub in veteran Kelvin Hayden.

After a breakout 2011 season, tight end Jared Cook was expected to be a major factor in the Titans’ passing game.  After eight games, he sits with 28 catches for 373 yards and has requested a trade due to a lack of involvement in the offense in recent weeks (h/t USA TODAY Sports).

As of now, it is unknown whether his request will be granted before the Thursday trade deadline, but if he is still a Titan come Sunday, he poses a matchup problem for the Bears.

Good size, speed and hands makes Cook one of the best young tight ends in the game that most haven’t heard about.  Ineffective quarterback play and an offense that doesn’t feature his abilities makes his 2011 stats all that more impressive.  Expect the Bears to use a combination of Nick Roach and one of their safeties to try and slow Cook down. 

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

For a team that has lost two of its best players to injury, linebacker Jon Beason and cornerback Chris Gamble, it would be expected to struggle defensively.

Through their first six games of the season, the Carolina Panthers‘ defense is allowing over 360 total yards and giving up 24 points per game.  While not the best numbers in the league, it is an improvement over last year where they gave up over 370 yards and 27 points per game.

The Panthers took a step at upgrading their defense in this past years’ draft, selecting middle linebacker Luke Kuechly out of Boston College with the ninth overall pick.  Kuechly has lived up to expectations this season, holding down the middle linebacker position and leading the team with 51 tackles.

He started the season on the weak-side before the injury to Beason moved him to his natural position inside.  His anticipation and knowledge of the game is more similar to a seasoned veteran than a rookie and he has an uncanny nose for the football.

Veteran Thomas Davis returned this season after knee injuries that have plagued him in recent seasons and holds down the weak-side linebacker position. At the strong-side position, James Anderson has done a great job at getting to the ball-carrier, amassing 49 tackles, second only to Kuechly.

Despite their big tackle totals, the Panthers have been average at best stopping the run, giving up nearly 120 yards rushing a game.

With quarterback Jay Cutler suffering from sore ribs following an injury Monday night against Detroit, expect the Bears to try and exploit the Panthers’ linebackers by pounding the football with Matt Forte and Michael Bush as well as implement more running backs screens, something the offense has struggled to get going this season.

Defensive end Charles Johnson was the heir apparent to Julius Peppers when he left in free agency three years ago. Johnson had a stellar 2010 season where he finished with 11.5 sacks. He has 3.5 sacks this season, but all came against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.

He is one of very few bright spots along the defensive line and can still pose problems for left tackle J’Marcus Webb.  Johnson will battle all game long and will try and wear Webb down, but given his solid outings as of late, Webb may actually hold an advantage.

Greg Hardy lines up opposite of Johnson and although he only has two sacks this season, right tackle Gabe Carimi has been struggling and Hardy is likely licking his chops for the opportunity to face him.

Carimi will need to rely on his mauling abilities and be physical with Hardy; he tends to disappear when facing stiffer competition. Dwan Edwards has been effective up the middle with 3.5 sacks and 24 tackles.  The Bears will likely double-team Edwards with a combination of center Roberto Garza and right guard Lance Louis.

Captain Munnerlyn and rookie Josh Norman hold down the cornerback spots with the injury to Chris Gamble.  Norman played an okay game last week against Dallas, but eventually gave up a long touchdown to Miles Austin. The Bears will look to find a mismatch with Brandon Marshall against Josh Norman, but do not be surprised to see the more experienced Munnerlyn shadow him for much of the day.

Safety Charles Godfrey is a solid but unspectacular strong safety who is good against the run but can be susceptible in the passing game.  Kellen Davis should have an opportunity to go against him deep down the field, but with the Bears inability to get Davis involved in previous games, Sunday likely will not be a time for them to start.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

Some questioned whether or not Newton’s abilities would transfer to the NFL level, but under the guidance of offense coordinator Rob Chudzinski, Newton made the transition seamlessly, finishing the year with more than 4,000 yards passing, 21 passing touchdowns, 14 rushing touchdowns, captured the offensive rookie of the year award and helped improve the Panthers’ record to 6-10.

The 2012 season has been a disappointment for both Newton and the Panthers. They sit with a 1-5 record, having lost four straight and are the only team in the NFC with only one win. Newton has thrown for more than 1,100 yards but has just four touchdowns to five interceptions, and the offense has failed to be as explosive as they were a year ago.

The read-option offense that they ran so effectively last season has been figured out by defenses who understand and seemingly know what the Panthers want to run the closer they get to the red zone.

Newton had his way with the Bears’ secondary last October, throwing for 374 yards, one touchdown, one interception and rushing for two more touchdowns in their Week 4 matchup.

The Bears defense will have to do a better job containing Newton and limiting his roll-outs. He rushed for only 35 yards on eight carries, but he was most effective in the passing game when he rolled out and bought his receivers extra time.

The Bears front seven will be given the task of trying to get pressure on Newton, and one of the linebackers will likely have the responsibility of spying him throughout the game or they could implement more of the “Boise Package” with Shea McClellin, who has the ability to drop back in coverage.

Wide receiver Steve Smith is off to another solid start this season with 28 catches for 471 yards, but is yet to find the end zone.  With limited options at the wide receiver position, teams hone in on Smith, doing their best to stop the top receiving threat.

Smith has been flat-out dominant against the Bears in the past. In four career games, including the playoffs in 2005, he has averaged nearly 10 catches and 166 yards per game.  Charles Tillman has struggled mightily with him, and the Bears have been burnt deep many of times with Smith, who has 10 catches of 25 yards or more against them.

Tillman has played great this season and along with Tim Jennings, they are becoming one of the best cornerback duos in the league. The corners will have to be physical with Smith, and the Bears safeties will likely continue to play deep and will have to keep him in front of them at all times.

Brandon LaFell lines up opposite of Smith and leads the team with two receiving touchdowns. Former Bear Greg Olsen is second in receiving yards behind Smith with 324 and has caught one touchdown.

Olsen was a major target for Jay Cutler before his trade to Carolina. He provides matchup problems against defensive backs because his size and his speed make it difficult for linebackers to keep up, so expect him to be a focal point in the red zone.

On paper, the Panthers arguably have the best trio of running backs in the league with DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. The three have combined for 354 yards on 99 carries with only four touchdowns.  The Panthers offense has not relied heavily on any of its running backs this season and will have a tough time trying to run at the Bears defense.

Williams possesses the ability to punch it outside and plays better going east to west, while Stewart and Tolbert are better north to south runners.  They may look to rely on Tolbert in the red zone because of his ability to be a power runner. The Bears interior of Stephen Paea and Henry Melton will be the first assigned to tackling him.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

When a team can put up the sort of offensive numbers that the Detroit Lions can, it is easy to ignore what they do defensively. So far in the 2012 season, the Lions defense is giving up an average of 324 yards of total offense, good enough for ninth best in the league.

The strength of the Lions’ defense lies in its front four.  Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is still a terror in the middle of the field despite a drop in play from his dominating rookie season in 2010.  Through the first five games, Suh has a total of 2 1/2 sacks to go along with ten tackles.  His rare combination of size and speed makes him one of the most difficult matchups for any offense line.  Expect the Chicago Bears to double team Suh as much as possible with center Roberto Garza along with left guard Chilo Rachal. 

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, defensive tackle Corey Williams—who missed the last two games after getting his knee scoped—is expected to return Monday night against the Bears.  Before his injury, the nine year veteran had two sacks in three games, as well as six tackles.  His return will keep the Bears from focusing solely on Suh like the Vikings and Eagles did in Williams’ absence, because of his abilities in both rushing the passer and stopping the run.

Nick Fairley has been considered a bust by some since being drafted 13th overall in the 2011 draft.  Inconsistent play has plagued him from the get-go, but on Sunday against Philadelphia he may have played one of his best games.  He finished with two tackles, batted down a pass, and was credited with a half of a sack.  Fairley benefits from being pushed by guys like Williams and offers the potential to be a disruptive force in their defensive tackle rotation

Outside on the edge, the Lions like to implement the Wide-Nine technique with their defensive ends where both Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch line up on the outside shoulder of the tight end, slightly tilted towards the quarterback in an all out pass rush.  Avril had a stellar 2011 season, amassing a career-high 11 sacks that led to him getting the franchise tag in the offseason.  Vanden Bosch hasn’t made the big splash many thought he would when he signed with the Lions before the start of the 2010 season, but he has been a solid contributor.

Right tackle Gabe Carimi will likely be matched up against Avril, who is a pure speed rusher that relies on  a quick first step as well as good hands to fight off opposing linemen.  Carimi has struggled in pass protection this season and will have to use his own athleticism to counter Avril.

Vanden Bosch will present a different task on the other side for J’Marcus Webb, who has had his hands full through the first five games with speed rushers similar to Avril.  Vanden Bosch is more of a power rusher who uses his strength and relentless motor to wear out his opponent.  Leverage will be key for Webb in slowing him down, and the Lions’ use of the Wide-Nine technique leaves them more vulnerable in the run game.

The Lions’ three linebackers, DeAndre Levy, Stephen Tulloch, and Justin Durant, are not household names, but they do all the little things right and are mostly unheralded for their production. They are ranked one through three on the Lions’ leader board in tackles, with Durant claiming the top spot with 37.  All three are solid tacklers and good against the run, but can be susceptible in the passing game.  The Bears will likely try and form a mismatch with the bigger, more physical Kellen Davis or with the quicker and more elusive Matt Forte.

This past Sunday the Lions’ secondary got a boost with the return of safety Louis Delmas, who made his first start of the season. Delmas is the best player in their secondary and can do a multitude of things from his free safety position.  His coverage skills are at a pro-bowl level and he is great when brought into the box to stop the run or blitz the quarterback.  Delmas will likely be keeping a close eye on Brandon Marshall, and do not be surprised to see the Lions use 2-Man coverage to defend him.

After Delmas, the Lions’ secondary is very thin. Injuries have left cornerback Jacob Lacey questionable for this Sunday, leaving rookie Bill Bentley lined up opposite of Chris Houston. Bentley was viewed by some as a project for the Lions who would likely see time at the nickelback position.  He is solid in man coverage but has trouble with bigger receivers.  The Bears will try and match Marshall against him as much as possible, trying to expose the rookie’s inexperience.

Houston has solid speed and size but would likely be a number two or three corner for any other team.  The Bears would have benefited from having Alshon Jeffery on the field, but due to his injury Earl Bennett and Devin Hester should see a lot of work on the field Monday night.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

Lining up alongside two possible future Hall of Famers like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, it is easy for strong-side linebacker Nick Roach‘s contributions to go unnoticed.

Through five games this season, the Bears defense has been dominate in stopping teams in both the running and passing game, having only given up an average of 291 yards per game—good enough for third-best in the league.

Urlacher and Briggs get the brunt of the attention because of their remarkable playmaking abilities, as well as the number of tackles they rack up each season.  Urlacher’s responsibilities as the middle linebacker in the cover-2 defense allow him the opportunity to roam the middle of the field and make plays on the ball.

Briggs’ responsibilities at the weak-side linebacker allow him to roam and have more freedom, because he typically is not matched up as often against tight ends or the running back, as Roach is at the strong side position.

Despite bringing in a proven veteran like Geno Hayes this offseason, or having to fight with Hunter Hillenmeyer or Pisa Tinoisamoa in the past, Roach has always relished the opportunity to learn from those around him, saying in an interview with Bears Backer in 2010:

NFL teams are always looking to improve positions, and they’re constantly evaluating players’ performance against other players, whether it’s on that team or around the league. The fact that I can learn from and compete with proven veterans is only going to be better for me in the long run.

Roach’s numbers are not typically near the top of the stat sheet, but his contributions should not go unnoticed. He often is forced with taking on the tight end, fullback or pulling guard, and his abilities to slow down that progression helps setup his teammates for tackles.

Not only is he responsible for trying to shed blockers in the run game, Roach is often matched up against some of the best tight ends in the league. He has good enough speed to keep up with most tight ends and can play physical with them as needed.

His numbers will never jump off the page at you, and he’ll likely never get the credit he is due, but without the solid contributions from Roach this season, the Bears defense might not be as dominate as it has been.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

Sunday afternoon the Bears will travel to Jacksonville to take on the 1-3 Jaguars who have struggled on both sides of the ball.  But, offensively, it all begins with running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

Jones-Drew has been one of the league’s most dominating runners over the last few years , averaging more than 1,300 yards rushing in each of the last three seasons.  He has the ability to not only run between the tackles but to bounce it to the outside.  His combination of speed and toughness makes him one of the hardest runners in the league to take down.

He presents a difficult task to a Bears’ defense that has not faced a tough running attack with teams like Indianapolis, Green Bay, and Dallas relying heavily on throwing the ball.

Linebackers Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Nick Roach will be called upon to make stops in the running game and will have to do their best to get low on the 5’7″ Jones-Drew to slow him down.

The Jaguars took quarterback Blaine Gabbert with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft with the hopes of finding a future start at the position.  Gabbert started 15 games last season and struggled mightily with accuracy, completing only 50 percent of his passes and throwing twelve touchdowns to eleven interceptions.

One of his strengths coming out of the draft was his mobility, but he struggled when pressured and was sacked 40 times.  The Jaguars’ offensive line has been mediocre at best, so not all of the blame can be placed on him.

The Bears’ defensive line should not have a problem creating pressure and will likely rely on their stout defensive rotation to force Gabbert to make ill-advised throws.

In four starts this season, Gabbert again has struggled with his accuracy completing just 55.5 percent of his passes, but he does have five touchdowns to only one interception. The Jaguars have not really given Gabbert much of an opportunity to stretch the field this season and his completions are only going for an average of 5.8 yards.

It seems unlikely that they would try to stretch the field this week against the tough Bears’ secondary, but they could rely heavily on play-action and screens to try and draw the defenders in.

A major reason for Gabbert’s lack of production is the lack of receiving weapons.  Jacksonville went out this offseason and drafted the top receiver in the draft, Justin Blackmon, as well as signed free agent Laurent Robinson.  Robinson, who has suffered three concussions since training camp, is not expected to play this Sunday (h/t Pro Football Talk).

The most surprising receiver for the Jaguars this season has been second year receiver, Cecil Shorts.  In four games, Shorts has six catches for 162 yards while Blackmon has ten catches for 79 yards and no touchdowns.

The effort to get Blackmon more involved in the offense has not gone as planned and has forced Gabbert to look more towards tight end Mercedes Lewis as well as Jones-Drew who leads the team with 13 catches.

With the Jaguars young receivers, the Bears cornerbacks should be able to take advantage of their inexperience and Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings should be able to make plays.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

In 2011, the Jacksonville Jaguars quietly posted the league’s sixth-best total defense, allowing only 313 yards per game.  Fast forward a year later and a Jaguars defense that is virtually the same on paper as last year has the 26th-best defense in the league, giving up over 400 yards per game.

The major bright spot for the Jaguars on defense is defensive end Jeremy Mincey.  Mincey turned down an offer this offseason to come to Chicago and currently is the best player on the Jaguars’ defense.  He finished last season with a career-high eight sacks, and although he has no sacks this season, he does have two forced fumbles.

Gabe Carimi will likely be matched up against Mincey for the majority of the game, but he could switch to right end at times to be faced up against J’Marcus Webb.  Due to the less-than-stellar performances of defensive end Andre Branch and defensive tackles Tyson Alualu and C.J. Mosley, teams often shift all of their focus on Mincey and force the others to perform.

For as much as the defensive line has struggled, the Jaguars’ linebackers have performed well this season.  Veterans Daryl Smith and Clint Sessions have not played this season and have been replaced by Russell Allen and Kyle Bosworth.  Allen has played well and has already racked up 30 solo tackles this season.

Paul Posluszny has been great at middle linebacker and plays well against both the run and the pass.  The Bears will likely continue to try to get tight end Kellen Davis involved in the offense and try to force a size mismatch between Davis and one of the Jaguars’ linebackers.

On paper, the Jaguars have a solid collection of players in the secondary with veteran cornerbacks Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox along with safeties Dawan Landry and Dwight Lowery.

Mathis will likely be matched up against the Bears’ Brandon Marshall, and although he was once viewed as a top-tier cornerback in the league, Mathis is not the player he once was.  Marshall should be able to use his size and speed to exploit Mathis, and the Bears’ slot receivers should be able to take advantage of nickelback Aaron Ross, who has struggled all season.

Landry and Lowery can both be labeled as hard-hitting safeties, and Landry plays very well against the run. In running situations, the Jaguars like to bring him into the box for run support, which should open up play actions passes deep against Lowery.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on BleacherReport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

After being terrorized in week two by Packers’ linebacker Clay Matthews, quarterback Jay Cutler will once again have his head on a swivel when they travel to Dallas Monday night to face the Cowboys and all-world linebacker, DeMarcus Ware.

Both the Cowboys and Bears enter Monday night’s showdown with a 2-1 record and are led by their defenses.  Through three games this season, the Cowboys have held opponents to an NFL-low 250 yards per game.  They are tenth in the league in sacks with seven—and Ware accounting for four of them.

Ware is arguably one of the best pass rushers of his era and sits with 103.5 sacks at the age of just 29.  He may be the perfect example of a pass-rushing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme.  Although he is listed on the depth chart as the right outside linebacker, Ware along with left outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, has the freedom to switch sides throughout the game, which will have to keep not only J’Marcus Webb but Gabe Carimi on their toes.

The combination of Ware and Spencer can cause havoc for teams on any given gameday with their abilities to rush the passer.  Inside linebackers Bruce Carter and Sean Lee have both played solid in the middle and Lee also has the ability to rush the passer, but both are much better in run defense.  To take advantage of the often over-aggressiveness of the linebackers, the Bears should try and utilize the screen game as well as quick slant passes.

Along with their punishing pass rush, the Cowboys secondary has been one of the teams strongest groups.  Veteran Brandon Carr was brought in during the offseason and they moved up in the draft to select Morris Claiborne.  Carr has been a solid starter, with teams rarely going after him and instead focusing on attacking the young Claiborne, who has stood up well against tough competition.  Carr was forced to play some safety during this past Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers due to injury and Mike Jenkins filled in admirably.

Veteran safety Gerald Sensabaugh has hinted at a return this Monday from an injury (h/t ESPN Dallas), but it is still unclear what role he will have if he returns. There is a possibility that Carr will again be forced to play some safety and it should open up an opportunity for the Bears to attack whichever corner is matched against Brandon Marshall.  With an influx at the safety position the Bears could also try and force the ball down field if they get the right matchup.

For how aggressive the Cowboys have been against the pass, their run defense has been in the middle of the pack, giving up over 100 yards rushing per game.  The Cowboys often seem more focused on getting to the quarterback under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s defense scheme than trying to stop the run.  Their defensive line consists of ends Marcus Spears and Jason Hatcher and nose tackle Josh Brent.  Both ends are better suited as pass rushers while Brent is a serviceable run-stopper.

The Bears should be able to take advantage of pass-rushers and blitzing schemes by implementing running back draws and delays that force the defense to think it is a pass.   It is still unclear whether or not running backs Matt Forte and Michael Bush will be available on Monday but even if it is Kahlil Bell, they should be able to run the football against a bad run-stopping team.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work onBleacherreport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.