Bears vs. Dolphins: Bears Slight Underdogs Thursday Night in Miami
Published by Jimmy Boyd on November 17, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have come out of their bye week and responded with back-to-back wins. Last Sunday’s 27-13 win over division rival Minnesota was particularly impressive.
The Miami Dolphins are coming off an impressive win of their own, taking down Tennessee by a score of 29-17, but that victory didn’t come without a cost. Quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Chad Henne were both injured in the win and are not expected to play Thursday.
Still, NFL oddsmakers are giving Miami the early edge, listing the Dolphins as a 1.5-point favorite, with the total set at 39.5.
Pennington, who was just named as the starter prior to last Sunday’s game, is likely done for the year after sustaining yet another injury to his throwing shoulder. Henne is not expected to play, either, after suffering a dislocated knee cap. This means third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen will likely get the start.
Thigpen played well in limited time against the Titans, completing 4-6 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Miami has already contacted Patrick Ramsey, JaMarcus Russell and Tom Brandstater about coming aboard. The Dolphins will need to sign at least one quarterback this week.
Perhaps just as crucial as the injuries to Pennington and Henne is the injury to left tackle Jake Long, who suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Titans. His injury could require season-ending surgery.
With star defensive end Julius Peppers coming to town, this is not a good week to be without your starting left tackle.
While the Miami offense fights through its injuries, the defense will have to pick up the slack. Miami ranks eighth in the league in total defense, allowing just 314.1 yards per game.
While Miami is banged up, it is still worth noting that Chicago is 0-6 against the spread in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last three seasons.
Chicago is coming off perhaps its best performance of the season. The Bears outperformed Minnesota in every phase of the game. The Bears were especially dominant on special teams, thanks to the decision to reinstate Devin Hester as their regular kickoff returner.
It had been nearly two years since Hester was Chicago’s regular kickoff return man, and he did not disappoint in the role last week. Hester racked up 100 yards on just two kick returns. He also added a terrific 42-yard punt return down the sideline.
It will be interesting to see if Miami will kick to the most dangerous return man in the NFL Thursday. If they do, there’s a good chance the Bears will enjoy strong field position.
In addition to Hester’s special teams efforts, Chicago showed a commitment to the running game. The often pass-happy Bears ran the ball 38 times for 130 yards. This helped keep the Minnesota defense honest, which opened up quality play-action opportunities.
The running game may be the most important factor in terms of Chicago making the playoffs.
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