Bears Blitz

Published by Jake Perper on November 7, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills will meet for the 11th time Sunday in Toronto. The Bears lead the series all-time, 23-22-1. The last time these two teams met, in 2006, the Bears won.

The Bills are 0-7, but have been playing improved football the last two games against the Ravens and the Chiefs. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has been pretty solid since he took over for Trent Edwards in Week 4 against the NY Jets.

The Bears should be able to run the ball effectively against the Bills poor run defense. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones combined for 274 yards against that same Bills defense last week. That means with Roberto Garza returning to play right guard, the offensive line should be much improved.

With a much improved offensive line, Chester Taylor and Matt Forte will find some success on the ground and in the screen game. Jay Cutler better have changed some things during the bye week, because the way he played against Washington is not going to win you many games.

Cutler needs to stop forcing throws because the Bears were still in that game against the Washington; they were actually in control, but Cutler just struggled so much. Mike Martz needs to draw up some more running plays, because when the Bears destroyed the Panthers earlier this season, they ran the ball down their throats.

The receivers could have problems against the Redskins. They might not have been where they were supposed to be, but if Cutler sees them consistently struggling, he can’t be afraid to throw away the ball. Cutler needs to make better decisions with his arm and his legs because he is one of the best quarterbacks when he gets out of the pocket.

Look for Cutler to try to come out and get the Bears off to a fast start. If they can’t, the Bills offense could easily take advantage of Cutler’s mistakes.

The Bears defense will have Lance Briggs back, so they will be ready to pounce more than ever. They will be flying all over the field. Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers, D.J. Moore, Danieal Manning and Chris Harris will be active all day long. Look for rookie Major Wright to make a contribution—it’s his first game since the season opener against the Lions.

The Bears defense will play well, I guarantee you that. They will be causing turnovers and setting up the offense with good field position. The offense needs to take advantage of that field position if they want to take control of this one quickly.

Players Who Must Step Up

1. Julius Peppers: He will be all over the field today, he has been solid all season long, but he is hungry for some sacks. Look for him to get to Ryan Fitzpatrick a couple of times today.

Prediction: six tackles, two sacks.

2. D.J. Moore: He showed up big against the Cowboys and Redskins. I expect him to make some kind of contribution today. If continues to make plays, he could find himself in the running for a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl squad.

Prediction: four tackles, one interception.

3. Greg Olsen: He will be huge today. He has been disappointing all season—Mike Martz and Jay Cutler know that, but they also know he is the most consistent receiver on the team. So if they can get him the ball, they will have success.

Prediction: seven catches, 59 yards, one touchdown.

Who will win?

Bears 28, Bills 13.

Jake Perper is the creator of www.BearsBacker.com and also covers the Bears for www.NFLTouchdown.com and NFLBlogblitz.com.

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