Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on January 7, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

If the Green Bay Packers end up losing to the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend then the Eagles will travel to Chicago for the second time this season to take on the Bears.  The Bears and the Eagles met in Week 12 and Chicago won that game 31-26.  Not too many people gave the Bears a chance at winning that game because of the Eagles offense and Michael Vick, but they contained Vick and won the game.

The Eagles have stumbled a bit towards the end of the season but can pick it up again and come into Soldier Field hot.  Can the Bears have a repeat performance of what they did to the Eagles in Week 12, or will they either have a tough or impossible time of eliminating the Eagles and getting to the NFC Championship game?

Are the Eagles the opponent that the Bears want to meet in their first playoff game?  Can they beat them for a second time?

Let’s find out in this, the third installment of which team we may want to have win in the first round of the NFL playoffs as we take a look at the Bears potential matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles come into this game with a two game losing streak and some questions at the quarterback position.  Quarterback Michael Vick came into the Green Bay game early in the year after starter Kevin Kolb went out with a concussion, and he took the Eagles offense to new heights.  Philadelphia did much better than anyone thought that they would and are now in the playoffs ready to make some noise.

Vick has a way of making something out of nothing and he’s truly the leader of that offense.  He’s not only a threat to run the ball but he’s also a much better passer than he was before he left the NFL and teams have had to worry about both this season.

The Eagles passing game is generating 244 yards per game while Chicago’s defense is holding teams to 224 yards.  In order for the Bears to curb the Eagles passing game they need to do what they did against them in Week 12.  The Bears got good pass pressure on Vick in their first game against one another (in that game they sacked Vick four times) and could easily do the same thing again.

If you want to get to Vick and get in his head, you have to get some pressure on him and the Bears will be fully capable of doing that if these two teams meet.

The Bears defense has managed to get 34 sacks this season while the Eagles have allowed their quarterbacks to get sacked 49 times.  The Bears defense can get to the quarterback and can use that to help them win a game that could be played between these two teams. 

When it comes to running the ball the Eagles do a pretty good job of that but the Bears defense can shut them down much like they have most any other team they have played this season.  The Eagles offense is averaging 145 yards per game while the Bears are allowing teams to rush for 90 yards per game.  Chicago’s rushing defense is ranked second in the NFL and when these two teams first met, Chicago held the Eagles to 105 yards on the ground total and are poised to shut them down again.

The Eagles defense has struggled at times this season and struggled against the Bears when these two teams met this season.  Chicago’s passing offense is averaging 188 yards per game through theair while the Eagles defense has allowed 216 yards per game to opponents. 

When Chicago played the Eagles in Week 12, Philadelphia allowed the Bears to pass for 247 yards and four touchdowns so Chicago’s passing offense can beat the Eagles passing defense.

The Bears have allowed their quarterbacks to get sacked 56 times while the Eagles defense has racked up 39 sacks this season.  In that first meeting, the Eagles sacked Cutler four times (most of those sacks came in one stretch of the game) so the Bears would have to ensure that they had proper protection for Cutler in this game.

The Bears have become a much better rushing team than they were in the first half of the season.  Through 16 games, the Bears have been averaging 101 yards per game.  The Eagles defense allowed teams to average 110 yards per game on the ground.  In that first meeting, the Bears rushed for 131 yards. 

The Bears should be able to run the ball against the Eagles if these two teams meet.  This will help the Bears keep the ball out of Vicks hands and give them an edge in this game.

So would the Bears want to face the Eagles again?  Could they beat them a second time?

It might be ideal for the Bears to face a team that they have already played this season.  As previously mentioned, the Eagles are coming into the postseason with a couple losses from their last two games and if they beat the Packers they will gain some of that momentum back.  Vick isn’t as healthy as he was when they met in Week 12 and after playing the Packers (if they win) he’s sure to come in beaten up more.

There are some that feel that playing the Eagles again would be a detriment to the Bears.  They figure that the Eagles will want to exact revenge on Chicago and would come into Soldier Field and beat the Bears.  Of course that could be possible but Chicago would be ready for the Eagles and could beat them and head to the NFC title game.

There are those that feel that the best scenario for any playoff team is to play someone that they have already played during the regular season.  Those two teams would already know each other and know their tendencies and thus it would be easier to game plan for them.  Remember that it works both ways though.  The opposing team, in this case the Eagles, would also know what the Bears tendencies are and would be able to be prepared for another match against them.

The Eagles are a good team and could pose some problems for the Bears even though Chicago beat them once this season.  If they have Vick ready to and if he’s healthy, he could give the Bears some problems if they were to meet.

Advantage: Bears

Would the Eagles be the worst case scenario (of a team) for the Bears to get in their first playoff game on January 16th?  Which team would be the ideal team for the Bears to face in their first playoff game?
Part four of this series will give us those answers and more.

To view write up about the Seahawks please click HERE.

To view the write up about the Saints please click HERE.

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