- Call me crazy, but I like the offensive line as currently constituted. By running the ball with a good amount of success last week, they proved to themselves and their coaching staff that they can be a balanced offensive squad. With the exception of Edwin Williams at Right Guard (who, I must admit, I know nothing about other than he is a big physical presence and a castoff from the Redskins), the Bears have some young talent that should be able to build on last week's performance. Running the ball with effectiveness should also assist in their pass blocking, as teams will have to account for both now that the Bears have put some successful runs on film for the rest of the NFL to see. The Seahawks front 4 is NOT the Giants front 4--look for the Bears to continue to make strides in this area.
- The Bears seem to have finally found a role for Chester Taylor. One of the Bears biggest shortcomings this year has been converting on 3rd and 1, and Taylor has proven that he has the savvy to get that yard more often than Matt Forte, who is a bit more of a finesse runner. Having this 1-2 punch in place will allow the Bears to sustain drives and keep the strength of their team (defense) off the field and fresh.
- Jay Cutler and Johnny Knox are due for a breakout game. Knox, who has not scored this season, is due for a big game this week as the Seahawks have not been stout against the pass. I have an inkling that Cutler (who did not like sitting out last week at all) will be looking for the big play early and often this week to reestablish himself as the MVP candidate he was through the first 3 weeks of the season. He will look to his most trusted deep threat to make this happen. (Fantasy football tip: Start Knox this week).
- The Seahawks have substandard receivers. The one area that seems to have hurt the Bears somewhat this year on the defensive side of the ball are when big-play receivers (Calvin Johnson, Miles Austin and Greg Jennings to name a few) are allowed to be matched up 1-1 with the smaller and less talented Bears cornerbacks. However, when the Bears have the ability to go man-to-man on outside receivers and bring Chris Harris (in essence a 4th linebacker) into the box they have been allowing nothing on the ground and forcing teams to be one-dimensional. This leads to....
- Julius Peppers continuing his dominance. Look for Peppers to break through and get to Matt Hasselbeck. He has been very close in recent weeks and Hasselbeck has a tendency to hang on to the ball too long.
- Playmakers. Winning in the NFL comes down to playmakers. The Bears were able to pull out a victory last year in Seattle due in large part to the fact that Cutler was the best player on the field. This year, the following Bears are light years ahead of their Seahawk counterparts in this area: Cutler, Peppers, Forte, Devin Hester (punt returns), Urlacher, Briggs, Greg Olsen, Knox and Pisa Tinoisamoa. The Seahawsks have an aging Hasselbeck, Golden Tate, a second round rookie from Notre Dame, and Marshawn Lynch, a castoff from Buffalo. I'll take my chances in this category with the home team.
Bears fans are looking for a dominant win in order to really start believing in this team and get off the flawed argument that their 4-1 start has been in large part due to luck. They'll get it on Sunday. Enjoy, my Bears brethren.
For more Bears news/opinion and NFC North information, check out www.bitterborderbattle.com, where I am also a contributor.
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