NFL Picks Week 7: Chicago Bears Over Washington Redskins
Published by Walker Daniels on October 20, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears are both coming off of Week 6 losses. The betting enthusiasts are still trying to figure out the Redskins.
The prevailing notion is that if QB Donovan McNabb has a big day, the Redskins will find a way to win.
However, McNabb threw for 246 yards and a touchdown in their loss to the Indianapolis Colts. McNabb’s stats are clearly not the sole indicator of the team’s success, as they could not beat the Colts even with a 100-yard rushing game from RB Ryan Torain.
The Chicago Bears, on the other hand, are a bit easier to figure out. If QB Jay Cutler is playing well, things tend to go the Bears’ way. In Week 6, for instance, Cutler did not throw a single touchdown pass, and the Bears lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
Without Cutler, the Bears seem content relying on RB Matt Forte. With Todd Collins at QB against the Carolina Panthers, Forte ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to a win.
But the Bears have been unable to get Cutler and Forte going simultaneously.
Forte has gained less than 40 yards per game in three of Cutler’s starts. Forte is a good RB, which begs the question—why can’t Cutler better utilize him?
Turning our attention to defense, the Redskins are terrible. Washington is 31st against the pass, allowing an average of 298 yards per game. Giving up a combined total of 420 yards per game, they rank dead last in overall defense.
To their credit, the Redskins are managing to keep a majority of these yards outside of the red zone, only giving up 20 points per game. So they are bending, but not breaking.
On offense, McNabb’s presence has certainly been felt, as predicted.
The Redskins’ pass offense is ninth in the league at 244 yards per game. But as is the case in Chicago, the passing game is getting no help from the rushing attack, as the Redskins are only averaging 93 yards per game on the ground.
It seems that the running game has gone on vacation, expecting their new Pro-Bowl QB to carry the offensive load on his own.
With a weak defense and a one-dimensional offense, the Redskins are vulnerable in Week 7. Chicago’s defense is solid, and they will put pressure on McNabb all game. With Cutler tossing the ball all over the field and Forte spinning his wheels, the Bears should be able to put up just enough offense to pull this one out.
Pick: Chicago Bears 23-20
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