2010 NFL Week 4 Picks and Predictions
Published by WhatIfSports.com on September 28, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
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Game of the Week: Bears vs Giants
One was shipped out of Denver in favor of a quarterback who once backed up Rex Grossman. The other had been fired by the Rams, the 49ers, and (gasp!) the Lions. Suffice it to say, Chicago fans had their doubts about the beginning of the Jay Cutler-Mike Martz Era. These apprehensions were not alleviated after protection problems surfaced in the preseason, which included embarrassing losses to Arizona, Oakland, and Cleveland.
Yet heading into Week 4, the Bears remain the last unbeaten NFC team in the 2010 season. And while Chicago did face Detroit in Week 1, the Bears have battled against projected playoff teams Dallas and Green Bay.
The defense has played admirably in the first three weeks of the season, keeping Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo relatively at bay. But the big story is the resurgence of Cutler, who was raked over the coals this offseason after a 26-INT, 7-win performance in 2009. Making matters worse was the early success of Kyle Orton in Denver, as well as remarks from Brian Urlacher expressing disappointment in the departure of Orton in favor of the Bronco QB. However, through three games in 2010, Cutler has thrown for 870 yards and 6 touchdowns with just two interceptions and a QB rating of 109.7. While it’s too early to coronate Cutler as Chicago’s savior, the former Vanderbilt product is showing why Denver drafted him with the 11th overall pick in the 2006 Draft.
Cutler’s resurrection is owed in no small part to Martz, who has turned into somewhat of a coaching vagabond in the past decade. Though his hubris occasionally rubs others the wrong way, there’s no questioning the results delivered by Martz. Celebrated as the architect of “The Greatest Show on Turf” in St. Louis, Martz additionally engineered offensive attacks in Detroit and San Francisco. While he was not able to replicate his success with the Rams, a genuine indication of Martz‘s talents is illustrated by his former teams’ performances the year after Martz‘s departure. For instance, Detroit went from a 7-9 team in Martz‘s last year in 2007 to the first 0-16 squad in NFL history in 2008.
For now, it appears that Cutler and Martz have translated this “us-against-the-world” mentality into prosperity. The Bears currently have the most efficient passing game in the NFC and are second only to Dallas in passing yards. The first half of the season should prove to be opportunistic for Chicago, with upcoming matchups against Carolina, Seattle, and Buffalo. The last month will be a true litmus test, as the Bears encounter New England, Minnesota, New York (Jets), and Green Bay.
But before the Windy City faithful can begin to have Super Bowl aspirations, the Bears must journey to New Jersey to combat the Giants. New York is 1-2 following a discombobulated defeat to Tennessee over the weekend, as the Giants committed five personal fouls and were negligent with the ball (three turnovers). A loss to Chicago would place Tom Coughlin on the proverbial hot seat for the sixth time in seven years in New York. One would think the Giants, a team that features veteran-laden lineups on both sides of the ball, would be too proud to start the campaign 1-3. Apparently the WhatIfSports engines shared this sentiment, as the simulations indicate New York as victors with a 65% winning percentage. Cutler and company were held in check, as the average score computes to 25-18 in favor of the Giants.
For the rest of this week’s predictions from WhatIfSports, check below:
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
