Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on October 19, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

This week we talk with Washington Redskins Featured Columnist Brandon Keener about the upcoming game that puts the Chicago Bears against the Washington Redskins.  The Bears are coming of an upsetting 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks while the Redskins were beat by the Indianapolis Colts 27-24. 

How might this game shake out?  What do the Redskins have that might concern the Bears?  Can the Bears beat Washington?  Find out below in this special Featured Columnist interview.

1. The Redskins played several opponents close this season but have come out on the losing end of things. Why can’t the Redskins seem to get to the point where they can overtake and finish games? Is the offense not yet ready to put together Mike Shanahan’s scheme?

The problem with the offense clicking and not being able to close out games boils down to a couple of things.

The first thing is that Kyle Shanahan, the Skins’ offensive coordinator, needs to mature a little with his play calling ability; but that is only going to come with time and being put in different situations. His father, head coach Mike Shanahan, has probably seen almost every scenario there is to see but Kyle is still very fresh in the play calling business.

The second thing is that Donovan McNabb normally tries to let a big play develop first towards the end of the game and tries to look for the bomb too much. Plenty of times against the Colts he had a check down guy available that could have easily scooted for a first down and kept the ball in the Redskins hands, but the QB chose to air it out. Don’t get me wrong, I love having D5 as a quarterback and hope he stays but sometimes his decision making is questionable.

2. How would you rate the pass rush of the Redskins? We all know that the Bears have a pretty weak defensive line and have been allowing sacks in bunches. Do you think a guy like Brian Orakpo could have a big day Sunday?

The pass rush relies on Albert Haynesworth being able to draw attention away from the rest of the players. When he is not on the field everyone knows that Brian Orakpo is coming, when he is on the field there are two guys to worry about instead.

Brian Orakpo has the potential of having a big game every week. He is that special of a playmaker.

3. Speaking of Brian Orakpo, how can the Bears stop him from crunching quarterback Jay Cutler all day? Is there anything that can slow him down?

I wanted to elaborate more on Orakpo above and now I’m going to get that chance.

The only way to stop him is to do what offensive lineman have done all season. Hold him. He has got to be one of the most held players in the NFL. But even though he does not get the calls, he still manages to collapse a pocket by himself. To double team him and to hold him are the only way to stop him from getting to Jay Cutler or disrupting his pocket.

Orakpo also draws offensive blockers and will cause the running game to have to change directions a lot so the more agile running back will be needed for the Bears offense this Sunday.

4. Do you think that Donovan McNabb will have a big game against this Bears defense? What makes him a great quarterback? What are his weaknesses?

Donovan McNabb is probably going to have a good day against the Bears seconday. The key for the Bears would be to put pressure on him but if he is allowed more than 3-4 seconds in the pocket he will pick you apart.

What makes McNabb a great quarterback is also the thing that can make him weak from time to time. As I elaborated on in your first question, he waits for a play to develop because he wants the big play so much. Especially at the end of the game.

He is generally better at throwing off his wrong foot than being a pocket passer and allowing him to throw on the jog, not on the run, is very dangerous because he has excellent vision while moving away from his big men.

5. The Redskins rushing attack has been pretty good so far this season. Do you think that it’s better because Clinton Portis is out and the Redskins have a faster and more agile back in Ryan Torain? What things do the Bears need to do to stop Torain and the Redskins rushing attack?

The Redskins running game showed to be at its best, I think, when both were available. But no doubt Torain has taken over well in Portis’ absence.

Ryan Torain showed some signs against the Colts of a running back like John Riggins. The Redskins fans loved Riggo for his ability to make a cut and duck his head for extra yardage and Ryan Torain hits defenders very hard. It is a tough comparison to make because Torain has only been running for a few games and defenses have not had much chance to figure him out, but he definitely shows signs of talent. Shanahan is showing again that he can take a “nobody” running back and do well.

I would say that if you want to stop the Redskins running game then watch for the pulling lineman and make sure you wrap up Torain’s feet because he can get away from you in a hurry. Ask Robert Mathis of the Colts who hit Torain square last week; Torain spun around, stepped over him and ran for a big gain. A good Youtube highlight to watch if you are interested in seeing what kind of runner Torain can be and how he can hurt you.

6. Mike Shanahan is a seasoned head coach that’s been in almost any situation that you can think of. Do you think that he will have his punter kick away from Devin Hester in this game? Will he remember what happened to him when he was with the Broncos and how Hester ran back two kicks in one game against the Broncos?

I can almost guarantee that any smart coach in the the western hemisphere will not kick to Devin Hester on a punt. What he did to the Broncos will be remembered very well.

If he does get kicked to, I would anticipate the punts to be as high as they can possibly be and very short, allowing the defense to surround him. This would force him to call for a fair catch or letting the ball hit the ground, or they will kick it to the farthest part of the end zone they can.

I would not expect a big return day by Hester unless he returns one from underneath the goal posts. Then again he certainly has the talent for that.

For my interview with Brandon about the Chicago Bears, please click HERE.

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