Bears Blitz

Published by Mike Chiari on December 2, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The 7-4 Chicago Bears will host the 4-7 Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in a game the Bears absolutely need in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. They will have to do it without quarterback Jay Cutler, however, as he will likely miss the remainder of the regular season with a thumb injury.

That means that backup Caleb Hanie will make his second consecutive start after piloting the Bears’ offense last week. Hanie was a bit shaky in throwing three interceptions, although he did throw two touchdowns as well. His play will be absolutely key down the stretch.

The Chiefs have been the epitome of an up-and-down team this season. They opened the season with three consecutive losses and a string of serious injuries, but bounced back with four straight victories. They have dropped another four in a row, however, and have very slim playoff chances at this point.

Chicago would be in the playoffs if they started today, but they will be in a dog fight moving forward with the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. The Bears will have to adjust to life without Cutler, and if they’re going to be a worthy playoff team, a home win over a shaky Kansas City team is a must.

Where: Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

When: Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. EDT

Watch: CBS; WBBM Channel 2 (Chicago) and KCTV 5 (Kansas City)

Spread: Chicago (-7)

With the Chiefs’ recent struggles and the fact that they are on the road, it is understandable why the Bears are seven-point favorites. With that said, though, the Bears simply aren’t the same team without Cutler and are certainly vulnerable to an upset.

The Chiefs don’t have much going for them offensively, but they were extremely strong defensively against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week and were able to stick around to the bitter end. I expect that to be the case this week, as the Bears will come out on top, but fail to cover in a low-scoring affair.

Over/Under: 37.5

While 37.5 is a fairly low over/under in today’s NFL, it seems to be fairly accurate for this game. The Bears have proven capable of putting up some explosive offensive numbers, but that was with Cutler under center. I would expect Chicago to play it much closer to the vest moving forward.

The Chiefs have their own quarterback problem with Matt Cassel on injured reserve, meaning journeyman Tyler Palko is the go-to guy. Because of that, the Chiefs seem incapable of scoring more than a couple times. I think the under would be the smart play in this particular game.

Chiefs Key Injuries

Questionable: OL Ryan Lilja (head), LB Demorrio Williams (groin)

Probable: C Casey Wiegmann (finger)

Bears Key Injuries

Out: QB Jay Cutler (thumb)

Questionable: WR Devin Hester (not injury related), DL Anthony Adams (back), DB D.J. Moore (ankle)

Probable: DB Zackary Bowman (groin), DB Charles Tillman (knee)

Fantasy Big Plays

RB Matt Forte (CHI)—In a game with few offensive stars, Bears running back Matt Forte will shine brightest. Forte already accounted for most of the team’s offense with Cutler at quarterback as he leads the team in rushing yardage and receptions, but he figures to be an even bigger focus now, especially against the Chiefs’ poor run defense.

Chicago Bears Defense—Outside of Forte, there don’t seem to be many surefire fantasy plays in this contest. With that said, you can’t go wrong with the Bears’ defense. Chicago has long been known for its defense, but that identity was lost a bit over the past couple seasons. Chicago’s defense has been excellent in terms of forcing turnovers lately, though, and it should do plenty of that against Palko and the Chiefs.

Keys to Chiefs Win

With Tyler Palko at quarterback, the Chiefs aren’t the type of team that can easily come back from a deficit. Because of that, it is vital for Kansas City to get on the scoreboard early. Also, they will have to establish the run with their stable of running backs, which is something they were unable to do against the Steelers’ stout defense last week.

On defense, stopping Matt Forte and the running game has to be the priority, but so does putting pressure on Caleb Hanie. In what little we have seen of Hanie, he has shown a tendency to get a little anxious in the pocket. If Tamba Hali and Kansas City’s normally meager pass rush can ramp up the pressure, Hanie can be forced into mistakes.

Keys to Bears Win

In many ways, the Bears’ keys to victory mirror those of Kansas City. Against the Chiefs’ 26th-ranked run defense, Forte absolutely must get between 25 and 30 touches in this game. There is absolutely no excuse not to utilize one of the best dual-threat backs in the game against a mediocre run defense.

Defensively, confusing Palko will be key. The Steelers were able to do that in the first half last week and it provided them with some great field position. Palko certainly doesn’t seem to be the most aware quarterback in history, so the Bears’ ball-hawking secondary figures to have plenty of opportunities to make plays and set up the offense in great situations.

Prediction

Bears 16, Chiefs 10

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