Bears Blitz

Published by Kevin Koss on November 13, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are not a good 5-3 team and the Vikings are a very underachieving 3-5 team, which definitely explains why the Vikings are a road favorite (be it one point) when they take on the Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. 

It does promise to be a big game in that both teams have a lot riding on this game.  With a win, the Bears would be 3 – 0 in the division, which would put them in great shape starting the final half of the season, although all those wins would be at home.  The Vikings, on the other hand, can’t afford to drop to 3-6, with teams such as Green Bay, New York and Philadelphia still on the schedule.

That being said, as a Bears’ fan, here are the five keys to winning the game on Sunday.

1. Julius Peppers and the defensive line have to dominate

The Bears’ defensive line is going to be a big key to this game in both the running and passing game. They can’t allow Adrian Peterson to beat them; make Favre try to do that. I know it probably pains Bears’ fans to hear that we are gonna put it on Favre to beat us, but I’ll take my chances letting him do it than one of the best running backs in the league right now. They also have to put some pressure on Favre. Brett Favre just isn’t the player he was ten years ago and once you put that big hit on him, he will feel the pressure. So if the line can limit the run as they have all season, and get a big hit or two on Favre, then the ole gunslinger is going to start pressing too hard and that’s when he makes turnovers, mostly because he just doesn’t have the same arm he used to. After all, in three of the Vikings’ four road losses this season, Peterson was held to under one hundred yards, and in those games Favre did throw five touchdowns, but also threw six interceptions.

2. Establish a Running Game with Forte and Taylor

The Bears’ have yet to really establish a rushing attack in a game all season, except for the Carolina game. Obviously, that’s not a big part of the Martz offense, but the fact remains that in three (Carolina, Detroit and Buffalo) of the Bears’ five wins, they have passed the one hundred yard rushing barrier. So if they can get it done not only does it prove results, it gives the defense something else to worry about other than just the arm of Jay Cutler. Now there is nothing saying that Matt Forte or Chester Taylor individually has to get there. But a solid 60-40 or even 70-30 split between them will do. The combination is what’s important.

3. Win the Field Position Battle

This might sound like the no brainer of the century, but for the Bears, it is even more important. Unfortunately, the Bears don’t have the offense at this time to drive the length of the field, so it is important that their defense and special teams put them in position to score. That doesn’t mean putting the offense always on the Vikings’ side of the field, but more that the offense is in position to drive deep enough for a field goal or pin the Vikings’ offense deep in their own territory. The Bears’ defense has to play their part in this by shortening Vikings’ offensive drives so that they are forced to kick the ball to Devin Hester, rather than give the Vikings an opportunity to angular kick out of bounds deep into Bears’ territory.

4. Minimize Mistakes in the Red Zone

Again, this sounds like a very simple objective, but for the Bears it seems like the norm is to make mistakes in the red zone. And this is not being placed solely on Jay Cutler for throwing interceptions in the red zone, but also the coaching staff for some of their play calling inside the twenty. In close games and tie games, at some point you have to take the points, and I’m not just talking this season. Lovie Smith has traditionally gone for it in fourth and goal situations when it is simply not necessary. The Bears must take advantage of their opportunities when they reach the red zone if they plan to win against the Vikings on Sunday.

5. Keep the Crowd in the Game

Soldier Field can be a very hostile environment to come into, especially for a division rival game. But the biggest reason the fans at Soldier Field need to stay in the game is that the Vikings are 0 and 4 on the road this season. You saw that right, zero road wins for the Vikings so far this season.

Most of these sound simple, and you’re probably saying every team will win if they can control field position, establish the run and dominate the defensive line, and that is true. But the Bears have won a few without doing these things, and maybe I’m just outlining what they need to do to go from an average team to a good team.

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