Chicago Bears Insider: Who Has to Perform This Sunday?
Published by Bryan Dietzler on January 20, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Bears have many standout players on the team, and most of these guys have been vital to the Bears’ success this season.
Some of the bigger stars like Jay Cutler, Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher have all stepped up and played very well for the Bears this season. Some of the lesser-known guys, including Corey Graham, D.J. Moore and Kellen Davis, have also come through in the clutch often this season and will be counted on in this big game.
There are some key players that really need to step up and perform in order to help the Bears win this game. The following is a list of players, some obvious and some not so obvious, that have to perform in this game in order for the Bears to win.
Jay Cutler—Cutler needs to have a near-perfect game in order to beat the Packers. He had a good game against the Seahawks and that kind of play will help him lead the offense to a victory this Sunday, but the Seahawks aren’t the Packers. Green Bay’s defense has played Cutler tough and Cutler will have his work cut out for him.
If he can get the protection that he needs and the Bears have the opportunity to run a balanced attack, he will have a lot of success in this game. Having the time to get the ball out to his receivers will be critical and if he has a chance to take a shot down the field, he should take it.
Mistakes have seemed to bother Cutler at times this season, and those mistakes generally come when he is trying to force things (when the Bears are behind in a game).
He can be taken out of this situation by having a good running game going and by not falling behind to the Packers in this game.
Julius Peppers—Peppers is an “all-world” defensive end, and has been a huge asset on the team this season and is a big reason why they are where they are at today.
In order for the defense to have success against Green Bay’s offense, Peppers needs to either get to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and put him on the ground or get pressure on him. He also needs to tie up blockers and allow someone else (like Tommie Harris or Israel Idonije) to make the play.
Peppers caused several problems for the Packers offensive line in their first game, and if he can do that again, Chicago’s defense will find success. He needs to have a big game and will have one this Sunday.
Matt Forte—The Bears are going to try to run the ball a lot in this game to help control the ball and the clock, and that means that Forte is going to have to have a good game. Forte has had a stellar second half to this season and had a good game against the Seahawks last week.
If the Bears can use him to move the ball on the ground and gain those critical yards while eating up time on the clock, then they have a great chance of winning this game.
The Bears will also want to get some balls thrown his way in order to keep the Packers defense off balance and allow themselves to move the ball down the field. If he goes over 100 yards, the Bears should win this game.
Charles Tillman—Tillman had a very nice game against the Seahawks last week, and needs to play the same (with that lock down coverage he displayed) against the Packers as he did then.
Having the receivers covered well will help the Bears secondary keep them from catching passes, and will also help keep Rodgers from getting into a rhythm.
Tillman and the rest of his counterparts in the secondary can’t afford to let the play get behind them either, because that could turn into a big play that would put the Bears in a bad position.
This secondary is good, much better than it is given credit for, but it does have some breakdowns in coverage from time and need to avoid those in this game.
Devin Hester—If Hester is lucky enough to get the ball in his hands, then he needs to try to do something with it each and every time he has it. If he can get into the end zone and score, that will give the Bears an excellent chance to win, but if he doesn’t, he can get up the field and give the offense some good field position to work with.
There might not be any other player on the Bears roster that could have more of an impact on the game then Hester and his ability to give the Bears good field position. If he comes through, the Bears will have a great chance of winning this game.
Earl Bennett—Cutler didn’t throw to Bennett that often in the game against the Seahawks, but he will need to utilize Bennett’s skills much more in this game. Bennett is a reliable option, especially on third down plays, and can take a short pass and turn it into a long gain.
If Bennett and Cutler are on, the Bears will have an excellent chance of moving the ball down the field easily and win the game.
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