Chicago Bears Preview Week Three: Bears (1-1) at Seahawks (1-1)
Published by Preston Parker on September 21, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Two 1-1 teams clash at Qwest Field. Chasing 2-0 teams in their division (Minnesota and San Francisco) and tied with 1-1 opponents (Green Bay and Arizona), this matchup could be a very telling game for these two teams and how the rest of their season will end up.
Chicago didn’t leave Soldier Field after upsetting Pittsburgh 17-14 without scares though; right end and the stalwart of the Bears defensive line, Alex Brown, sprained an ankle after notching two sacks and providing the pressure on Steeler’s QB Ben Roethlisberger on his sole interception.
Brown was the Bears best defensive lineman last season, and has two sacks on the season providing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, coach Lovie Smith remains adamant that Brown should
However, injuries may be the breaking point for both teams. Star linebacker Brian Urlacher was obviously injured Week 1 for the Bears, but free agent acquisition Pisa Tinoisamoa was also injured against Green Bay and missed Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh.
Chicago didn’t leave Soldier Field after upsetting Pittsburgh 17-14 without scares though; right end and the stalwart of the Bears defensive line, Alex Brown, sprained an ankle after notching two sacks and providing the pressure on Steeler’s QB Ben Roethlisberger on his sole interception.
Brown was the Bears’ best defensive lineman last season, and has two sacks on the season providing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, coach Lovie Smith remains adamant that Brown should be prepped for the Bears quest to Qwest. The Bears better hope he is, as the Seahawks offensive line hhas been ravaged by injuries this season.
Seahawk’s fantastic left tackle Walter Jones has missed the first two weeks of the regular season so far, and his replacement in Sean Locklear also has an ankle injury.
If the Seahawks are starting former Dolphin and Texan, third-string offensive tackle Brandon Frye, then even a limping Alex Brown should be able to provide pressure. With all the injuries to the Seahawks line, it’s no wonder that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, one of the league’s most underrated quarterbacks, suffered a fractured rib and might miss this week’s upcoming game.
If Matt Hasselbeck does miss this game, the team will turn to backup Seneca Wallace. Last year the Seahawks went 3-5 under Wallace’s hand last season when he started at quarterback, and will likely have similar struggles if Wallace starts again, although he does have more weapons this year.
The Seahawks defense is also facing injuries at the middle linebacker position, with star Lofa Tatupu facing a hamstring injury. With the Seahawks recently giving up over 200 yards to running back Frank Gore without Tatupu, running back Matt Forte, who’s off to an extremely slow start, could break out of his shell and break 100 yards for the first time this season.
Conditional Prediction (Seahawks without Tatupu/Hasselbeck): Bears 21, Seahawks 17
Qwest Field is one of the loudest and toughest fields to play at, but the Seahawks without Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu are a completely different group, meaning that a Bears team coming off a huge win over the Super Bowl champion Steelers should be able to take a win.
Conditional Prediction (Seahawks with Tatupu/Hasselbeck): Seahawks 23, Bears 20
Hasselbeck is the key to this team’s success; whenever he’s been out for the Seahawks in the past they’ve struggled. If both are playing, the Seahawks should play considerably better football on both sides of the ball, although it should still be close.
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