Bears Blitz

Published by Brandon Dennis on December 9, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears face off against the Denver Broncos this Sunday in a game that Broncos fans have had circled on their calendars since the start of the season as the return of Jay Cutler. Unfortunately for both Broncos and Bears fans, Cutler will not be under center for Chicago this week.

Instead, it will be Caleb Hanie squaring off against the Broncos. What’s more, he will do so without the help of Matt Forte, who—before his injury—lead the league in yards from scrimmage.

Hanie comes into the game having completed 29 of 60 passes for 387 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Those types of numbers do not equate to very many wins. Without Matt Forte this week, even more pressure will be put on Hanie in a game that the Bears must win.

The Broncos come into the contest continually winning last-minute games. The defense has suddenly stiffened up—aside from in the Vikings game last week—and while Tebow may not have the prettiest numbers, he makes the plays when it matters and gets the wins.

The Bears defense may pose the biggest challenge for Tebow thus far. Their athleticism and speed on defense should help contain Tebow on Sunday and keep the Bears in the game. However, the problem may then be when it comes down to the final few minutes.

Tebow has shown that the end of the game is when he is at his best, while Hanie simply has not done much.

This should be a low-scoring game and honestly pretty boring—I doubt either team will be able to move the ball throughout much of the game.

The outcome of the matchup will most likely come down to the strengths of both teams and which side gives. The Bears excel on creating turnovers, while the Broncos excel in protecting the ball. This stat, while important in all games, will be even more so this Sunday in Denver.

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