Chicago Bears Outlook: Can Caleb Hanie Bounce Back Against Denver This Sunday?
Published by Jake Perper on December 8, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Its hard to believe that this is the same Caleb Hanie that almost led the Bears to a win the NFC Championship.
Despite falling short in that game, Hanie showed poise through adversity which led many Bears fans to believe in his abilities.
That’s why many fans didn’t panic too much after losing Jay Cutler to a thumb injury in Week 11 against San Diego.
These past two weeks have been rough for him to say the least.
The team has lost two games in a row, after going on a five game winning streak with the offense clicking on all cylinders.
In two starts, Hanie has completed 29 of 60 passes for 387 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.
He’s been sacked 11 times and has a posted a miserable passer rating of 40.8.
Can Hanie bounce back against the Broncos this week and the lead the Bears to a much needed victory?
Its a hard question to answer because Hanie flashed some of his abilities in his first start against Oakland in Week 12 when he threw for two touchdowns.
But he has combined to throw six interceptions in his first two starts.
The offense failed to convert a single third-down conversion against Kansas City, going 0-11 in the game.
The defense on the other hand has allowed only two touchdowns in the past two games.
Hanie needs to help this team score some points before he turns into the next Chad Hutchinson, Jonathan Quinn or even Henry Burris for the Bears at quarterback.
The Broncos defense ranks 24th in the league in yards allowed per game. They give up an average of 366.4 ypg.
They’ve allowed teams to convert only 36 percent of the time on third downs.
Opposing quarterbacks are averaging 245.2 yards per game through the air against them. 22 touchdown passes have been tossed and the average passer rating against the Broncos is 94.2
The Broncos have been pretty solid as of late and they will be getting rookie linebacker Von Miller back from injury this week.
Miller has been a monster on defense racking up 10 sacks this season.
Will Hanie improve against the Broncos?
He needs more protection and more separation from his receivers. Most importantly, he needs to be more decisive with the ball.
At times he has shown to be way to indecisive with the ball, often leading to a sack or just a bad throw.
Hanie can bounce back against the Broncos with help from the rest of his offense.
The defense will do their part containing the option-run offense with Tebow, but the Bears offense has to provide some scores.
The running game is a key to helping Hanie succeed. With Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell taking over at running back as Forte sits out, the success on the ground is a must.
Hanie can do well with the right plays being called by coach Martz and if his decision making improves some.
Cutting down on the mistakes and hitting a receiver in stride should be what Hanie is focusing on this week in practice.
The nerves were high in his first two starts, but he should settle down with help from everyone around him.
Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.
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