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Key Matchup: Bears Secondary Against Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

12th September 2012 by under Key Matchup     

In two games against the Chicago Bears in 2011, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was held under 300 yards passing.

Unfortunately he tossed three or more touchdowns in those two games for the Pack, which were victories for them.

The Packers could be without star wide receiver Greg Jennings who is doubtful with a groin injury.

This could be big news for the Bears defense. Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb become the top three receivers, while tight end Jermichael Finley will try to exploit the middle of the field where he has had success.

The Packers were the third top offense in 2011, averaging 35 points and 405 yards per game. 

They faced a stingy San Francisco 49ers defense last Sunday in their 30-22 home loss. They lost once at home all season in 2011.

Aaron Rodgers tossed 303 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 44 pass attempts. Former Bear Cedric Benson carried the ball nine times for 18 yards, while Rodgers ran five times for 27 yards.

It will be interesting to see if the Bears stack the box with eight men. They might just let Cedric Benson try to beat them because Rodgers is lethal with his passes and with time he could really dangerous.

The Bears were fortunate enough to generate pressure with their front four in their week one victory over Indy on Sunday. The Packers offensive line isn’t that much better, but their quarterback certainly is.

Rodgers will test cornerbacks Charles Tillman (questionable), Tim Jennings and Kelvin Hayden throughout the night.

Chris Conte and Major Wright were solid against Indy combining for nine tackles and one interception. They need to be in the right spots or it could be a long night for the Bears in Green Bay.

The biggest concern at this point should be Brian Urlacher’s play in nickel situations. He was held out of most of the second half in the home opener because Lovie Smith wanted to get him rest.

That all makes sense, but he showed he isn’t exactly up to game speed at this point. He could be a liability in the middle of the field if he still isn’t back to 100%.

The Bears defense will have its hands full with Aaron Rodgers and his top targets Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley and James Jones. The secondary will have to play solid on its end in order to give the Bears a chance in this one.

The key matchup to watch all night is how the secondary of the Bears reacts to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

This NFC North rivalry should be fun to watch.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Key Matchup: Bears Defensive Line Against Colts Rookie QB Andrew Luck

7th September 2012 by under Key Matchup     

The Chicago Bears welcome the Indianapolis Colts to Soldier Field this Sunday.

Andrew Luck, the #1 overall pick from the 2012 NFL Draft will be under center for the Colts. He will likely face an uphill battle against the veteran Bears defense.

The rookie quarterback has a shaky offensive line in front of him led by second-year tackle Anthony Castonzo. With the departure of center Jeff Saturday this off-season the Colts line lost its veteran leader.

The Bears should be excited for this matchup. They go up against a rookie quarterback, a questionable offensive line and a backfield led by an average back in Donald Brown.

Longtime Colt Reggie Wayne leads the receiving core, while Austin Collie comes into the game questionable (head) and Donnie Avery serves as the third receiver. Backing those starters up are two rookies (LaVon Brazil and T.Y. Hilton) and second-year man Kris Adams, who spent time with the Bears a season ago.

The 2011 Colts offensive line allowed 35 sacks and 81 quarterback hits. The offense as a whole was only able to rush for eight touchdowns.

The 2011 Bears defense ranked 19th overall in sacks (33) and sixth overall in interceptions (20). They were near the bottom of the league in sacks per pass play.

With that being said these are two very different teams. The Colts basically have a brand new offense. Rookie QB Andrew Luck is a very smart kid, but he will certainly be nervous in his first NFL start on the road in the windy city.

The Bears defensive line was led by Julius Peppers once again last season. Peppers recorded 11.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. With the addition of Shea McClellin and the return of defensive tackle Amobi Okoye this defensive line is much improved.

Getting pressure on Colts rookie QB Andrew Luck will be a big key to a Week 1 victory for the Bears. He will have his hands full with the Bears veteran defense, but could take some shots at the young secondary led by Chris Conte and Major Wright.

Israel Idonije and Shea McClellin will be asked to step up, while Henry Melton and Julius Peppers will likely draw double teams throughout the day.

The Bears will blitz more than usual this season, so if the Colts plan to be pass heavy or run heavy either way this defense should be ready.

Don’t be surprised to see the Colts try to throw off the Bears pace with some no-huddle packages with Luck under center.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Key Matchup: Bears Running Game Against The Seahawks Defense

17th December 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Chicago Bears offense combined to run for 158 yards last week in Denver.

Marion Barber had 108 yards, while backup Kahlil Bell had 40 yards and quarterback Caleb Hanie had 11 yards.

Barber and Bell had success on the ground, but mistakes in key parts of the games led to the Bears loss.

Barber was pushed out of bounds with under two minutes giving the Broncos another chance.

In overtime, Barber had a huge opening and tried to push through it, but failed to cover up the ball and lost the ball and ultimately the game for the Bears.

Luckily the Bears team was supportive of Barber.

Barber knows he needs to get better.

With one-year left on his contract, the Bears want Barber to succeed, but wouldn’t be afraid to cut ties with him if he falters more down the stretch.

Barber has 389 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the season, while Kahlil Bell has 97 yards rushing on the season.

The Bears run offense is averaging 122.5 ypg, which ranks 9th in the NFL. They average just about 27 carries per game and 4.4 ypc.

Unfortunately the surging Seahawks are coming to town.

Winners of two straight, Seattle has the 11th ranked run defense in the NFL.

They allow an average of 104.3 ypg on the ground and an average of 3.7 ypc.

The longest play allowed on the ground on the season by Seattle is 32 yards.

The Bears are going to have to run well to have a chance to win.

With a shaky passing game led by Caleb Hanie, the Bears offensive success starts on the ground.

Running early and often on the Seahawks is going to be key tomorrow.

Barber and Bell have shown they can run the ball successfully with Forte on the sideline healing up.

Barber needs to fix some of the mistakes he’s made the past couple of weeks.

The seven-year veteran knows better than to run out of bounds in a key situation against Denver or line up improperly like he did against Kansas City.

Tomorrow at Soldier Field, the Bears know its a must-win scenario.

Expect to see two running backs pumped up and ready to go.

Barber and Bell want to show what they have especially against an above average run defense in Seattle.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Key Matchup: Bears Pass Rush Against Raiders Offensive Line

26th November 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Bears defensive line didn’t put together a very good performance last week against San Diego.

They didn’t really get much pressure on Chargers QB Phillip Rivers until the fourth quarter.

Defensive end Israel Idonije led the defensive line with five tackles.

Amobi Okoye, Henry Melton, Stephen Paea and Corey Wootton all had one tackle each.

Julius Peppers was pretty quiet not showing up on the stat sheet.

He leads the Bears in sacks this season with six, but disrupts quarterbacks in other ways than that.

He gets pressures and hits on quarterbacks and those don’t show up on the box score after a game.

The defense has 18 sacks through 11 games, which ranks 26th in the NFL.

The Bears try not to blitz much, they really just put pressure on quarterbacks with their front four.

Peppers is the most consistent pass rusher on the defense, but others have stepped up at times.

Henry Melton (4.0 sacks) has been used as a defensive tackle and defensive end.

DE Israel Idonije has three sacks, Amobi Okoye has three sacks and Stephen Paea has one sack.

DE Corey Wootton is back to being healthy, and DE Chauncey Davis could be used this week after signing a couple of weeks ago.

The Bears need consistent pressure. That’s just how their defense succeeds.

They were able to win last week because the line stepped up in the fourth quarter, but Charles Tillman and other corners are vulnerable with no pressure added.

Will the Bears be able to get pressure on Carson Palmer?

The Raiders offensive line is fourth in the NFL in sacks allowed (15). But they’ve allowed seven sacks since Carson Palmer took over at quarterback four weeks ago.

The Vikings were able to get to Palmer four times last week, but he still had success threw the air tossing one touchdown and completing 17 of 23 passes.

The Raiders offensive line has allowed 45 quarterback hits, which ranks 13th in the NFL.

The Bears could have a tough time getting to Palmer with the line succeeding as of late for the Raiders.

The Raiders could be running the ball more than usual considering receivers Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey could all be out.

Running back Darren McFadden has been ruled out for Sunday, and backup Taiwan Jones is also banged up with a hamstring injury.

Expect the Bears to use eight men in the box more often than none. Carson Palmer will be limited with offensive weapons if those three speed receivers can’t play.

Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy and T.J. Houshmandzadeh would be the Top 3 receivers.

The Bears should be able to contain running back Michael Bush and could be in luck with the speed receivers for the Raiders either being out or limited.

The defensive line wants to stop the run first, so Palmer will be forced to pass the ball.

Expect a solid mix of blitzes and eight men fronts for the Bears tomorrow in Oakland.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Key Matchup: Bears Receiving Core Against Lions Pass Defense

12th November 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Bears currently rank 18th in the NFL in passing offense. They average about 221 yards per game through the air.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is completing 58% of his passes and is averaging 33 passing attempts per game.

The offense has completed 25 passes of 20-plus yards, but only four of 40-plus yards.

The longest pass play for the Bears offense came in Week Six on Sunday Night Football, when Jay Cutler found Devin Hester for a 56-yard touchdown pass.

With all that being said the Bears offense is going up against one of the better pass defenses in the NFL. The Detroit Lions allow the fifth fewest passing yards per game (193.6).

Opposing quarterbacks average passer rating against them this season is a mediocre 72.3. The longest pass play that they’ve allowed the entire season was 49 yards.

They have two more interceptions than touchdowns allowed and they allow just under six yards per pass play.

The defense also ranks fourth in the entire NFL in sacks, with 24 on the season. Defensive ends Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch are tied for the team in high sacks with five a piece.

Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh (3) and Sammie Hill (2) have five sacks combined.

So, how can the Bears offense keep putting up good numbers tomorrow against Detroit?

The good news is the Bears are 5-1 this season when they are winning after the first quarter.

The bad news is the Bears were leading at the half, when these two teams last met on Monday Night Football in the Week Five loss.

Dane Sanzenbacher and Sam Hurd were the leaders in receiving yards in that game. I doubt that will happen tomorrow at Soldier Field.

With the return of Earl Bennett, the offense has been much more efficient on third downs and in the red zone.

Roy Williams, Johnny Knox, and Sanzenbacher will all be targeted on Sunday. Bennett will be the receiver the Lions key in on, while Knox and Sanzenbacher could find some open space.

With Devin Hester questionable (ankle), don’t expect for the Bears to use him very much on offense, if he suits up.

The Bears receivers against the Lions pass defense is a key matchup to watch tomorrow, when the Bears face the 6-2 Lions at Soldier Field.

The pass rush of the Lions is vicious, but with the Bears offensive line stepping up these past few weeks they might not be a big problem like they were in Week Five.

Keep in mind the Bears have averaged 31 points the past three weeks, so the Lions could be in trouble with Cutler putting up solid numbers lately.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Key Matchup: Bears Rushing Attack Against Eagles Defense

7th November 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Bears offense has always had a run first mentality.

With Matt Forte leading the way, the Bears rank 15th in the NFL in rushing yards per game.

They average roughly 115 yards on the ground per game. Forte is currently averaging around 160 yards from scrimmage per game, leading the entire league.

Can the Bears put up those kind of numbers against the Eagles defense?

The Eagles defense ranks 17th in the league in rushing yards allowed. They’ve allowed roughly 118 rushing yards per game on defense.

Running backs against the Eagles have averaged five yards per carry.

Does Matt Forte and Marion Barber have what it takes to exploit the Eagles weaknesses on defense?

The Bears need to get off to a fast start to have a chance because the Eagles offense can be very explosive.

Running hard early and often will help the Bears chances tremendously. The Eagles will likely be keying in on Matt Forte, with eight men in the box more than not.

The more defenders in the box, could open up some opportunities for quarterback Jay Cutler. But getting Matt Forte going on the ground and through the air is the key for the Bears tonight.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Keys Matchup: Bears Wide Receivers Against The Vikings Secondary

15th October 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Chicago Bears receivers haven’t done much this season to help quarterback Jay Cutler out.

The receiving core has combined for 752 yards on 57 receptions through five games this season. Johnny Knox, the third-year receiver, leads the unit with 14 receptions for 254 yards

RB Matt Forte has more than half the amount of receptions (30) and almost half the amount of receiving yards (345) than all the Bears receivers this season.

Last week against the Lions, the Bears’ No. 5 and No. 6 receivers (Sam Hurd and DaneSanzenbacher) led the team in receiving yards, respectively.

Luckily, the Bears will be facing a Minnesota Vikings team that isn’t very good in pass coverage.

Minnesota ranks 25th in the NFL in pass defense, allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for about 271 ypg and complete 63.8 percent of their passes. However, they’ve only allowed six touchdowns all season through the air.

Bears receivers have had some success against the Vikings in the past. Johnny Knox has eight receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns in four career games against Minnesota

In two games last season against the Vikings, Knox reeled in seven passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. He caught a 67-yard touchdown in a Week 15 win in Minnesota, which helped crown the Bears NFC North division champs.

Devin Hester has 17 receptions for 279 yards and four touchdowns in nine career games against Minnesota. In two games last year against the Vikings, Hester reeled in 61 yards and two touchdowns.

Hester also ran back a 64-yard punt to break the all-time punt return record with his 10th record ever.

Also, former Cowboy Roy Williams caught three passes for 28 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 6 meeting against Minnesota.

Matchup to Watch

The Bears’ receivers versus the Vikings’ secondary is a matchup to watch.

With Antoine Winfield out for the Vikings, second-year corner Chris Cook will step in as the starter across from Cedric Griffin.

Johnny Knox, Dane Sanzenbacher and Roy Williams will be called upon to make big plays. Devin Hester could be a key weapon considering he had three touchdowns against the Vikings a season ago.

Unfortunately, Earl Bennett hasn’t been cleared to play yet. It would be a big surprise to everyone if Bennett suited up Sunday night.

The Bears have a perfect situation to put up good numbers on offense, especially in the passing game.

Matt Forte is going to get his carries and his catches out of the backfield.

The Bears need to be able to contain the Vikings’ pass rush, which has been pretty good as of late. Defensive ends Jared Allen (nine) and Brian Robison (five) have combined for 14 sacks on the season.

If Cutler can get time to throw out of the pocket, he could be in line for a good game through the air. He showed last week that he is a very talented quarterback, despite having a very weak offensive line.

The Bears should take advantage of Winfield’s absence and help make Jay Cutler look good for once.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Keys To The Game: Bears Offensive Line Against the Lions Defensive Front

9th October 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Bears offensive line has allowed 15 sacks so far this season ranking second worst in the NFL league behind only the 0-4 St. Louis Rams (19).

Cutler was sacked 11 times in the first two weeks. However, the last two weeks the offensive line has allowed only four sacks.

The Lions defense is tied for 16th in the league with nine sacks. Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch are the defensive ends. Vanden Bosch has three sacks, while Avril has one.

DT Ndamukong Suh, who will likely have to be double teamed has two sacks, while Corey Williams has been steady playing next to him. Rookie DT Nick Fairley will make his NFL debut and will be excited to.0 get to showcase his skills.

In five career games against the Lions, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has posted a 112.0 QB rating, nine touchdowns and only one interception.

He is 4-0 against the Lions since coming to the Bears in 2009. But he’s been sacked 14 times in his career against the Lions.

How to contain the Lions defensive front?

This time around the Lions defensive front is ferocious. With a star DT in Ndamukong Suh and a solid pass rushing DE in Kyle Vanden Bosch this front four is arguably one of the best in the entire NFL.

The Bears offensive line will need to play steady and protect Cutler if they want to have a chance at winning. Last week, they were able to open holes against the Panthers.

The Panthers defense is pretty undisciplined, but the Lions is much more disciplined. J’Marcus Webb, Chris Williams, Roberto Garza, Chris Spencer and Lance Louis will likely be the starters with Frank Omiyale being the swing tackle.

The Bears will have to open up lanes for RB Matt Forte because they showed last week that they are a run first team.

Cutler will be needed to make throws, but if the running game can play half as well as it did last week then the Bears could be looking that much closer to a win.

Pay attention to this match-up all Monday night. The Lions will be bringing pressure at Cutler all night long.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

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Key Matchup: Bears Defense Against the Lions Tight Ends

8th October 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Bears travel Monday to Detroit to take on the 4-0 Lions on Monday Night Football.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson has caught two touchdowns in each of the Lions first four games. Eight touchdowns through four games is an NFL record and it’s an impressive one at that.

Obviously, matching up the right corners with Calvin Johnson will be important for the Bears defense, but the Bears have been getting torched by opposing tight ends so far this season.

Tight ends have averaged more than six catches per game against the Bears this season for an average of 82 yards and a touchdown. They have also averaged 12.6 yards per catch.

Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez reeled in five catches for 72 yards in Week One and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham to reel in six catches for 79 yards in Week Two.

Packers tight end Jermichael Finley caught seven passes for three touchdowns in Week Three. Last week, Panthers tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen combined for seven catches for 91 yards and one touchdown.

Clearly shutting down the tight ends will be key this week. Lions tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler are very solid and the Bears better be ready for them.

Pettigrew ranks second in the NFL among tight ends with 93 receptions over the last two seasons. Pettigrew has 22 receptions for 240 yards so far this season. Scheffler has added three receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

They could be the most athletic tight end tandem in the NFL.

The Bears will have to key in on the tight ends on Monday night. Like mentioned above, Calvin Johnson will have to be contained, but these tight ends might be the weapons the Lions will be able to use the most on Monday.

Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs haven’t been great against the tight ends and that could be the reason opposing tight ends are having such great success against them.

Safeties Chris Harris and Brandon Meriweather will need to step up as well, when matched up with Pettigrew or Scheffler. Look for the Bears defense to try to come out strong to start this game out.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

 

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Key Matchup: Bears Receivers Against Panthers CB Darius Butler

1st October 2011 by under Key Matchup     

The Bears catch a break this Sunday with Panthers best cornerback Chris Gamble out with a concussion. Third-year pro Darius Butler will start in Gamble’s place.

Butler stands at 5’10″ and could be picked on a lot by Bears QB Jay Cutler. Butler spent the last two seasons with the New England Patriots, starting eight games, while reeling in three interceptions.

The former second-round pick hasn’t been labeled a bust just yet, but getting released by Bill Belichick and the Patriots after only two seasons isn’t a good sign. Sunday will be a big test for Butler.

The Bears need to find ways to get the ball down the field to their playmakers. If Hester and Knox can beat Butler on the outside it could be the perfect remedy for this offense.

This a key match-up to watch on Sunday. Panthers CB Darius Butler against the Chicago Bears receivers.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out, either way the Bears should look at Butler as a weakness in the Panthers secondary.

For Bears news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

 

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