Simple Guide to De-Clawing the Bengals’ Defense
Published by James on October 21, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Putting last Sunday’s loss to Atlanta behind them, the Bears face off against the Bengals this Sunday in Cincinnati. The “Cardiac Cats” are, arguably, the Bears’ toughest opponent so far this season.
The Bengals present a challenge to the Bears on both sides of the ball. Their stout offensive line has paved the way for ex-Bears running back, Cedric Benson. Benson is seeing success behind this line like he never saw in Chicago.
The Bears’ defense has done well against the run this season, and their improved pass rush should give them a chance to keep the Bengals’ playmakers off the field.
Despite success on defense, the Bears’ offense has had to play catchup in nearly every game this season. Things won’t be any easier this week against Mike Zimmer’s Bengal defense. They are big, physical, and allow only 19.7 points per game (14th in the NFL).
There is room for hope for the Bears, who played well coming off of their embarrassing loss in the season-opener. They look to do the same this week.
Anyone who caught this season’s edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks or has watched the Bengals play this year will tell you that Cinci has a greatly improved squad.
They have already matched their win total from last season, and impressive wins over the Steelers and Ravens have given them a solid foothold in their division. Last week’s loss to the Texans figures to have them feeling ornery and ready for another statement game against a respectable opponent.
Mike Zimmer’s defense hopes to put on a clinic Sunday, even without their sack leader Antwan Odom. If the Bears’ offensive line can’t make space for Matt Forte, Jay Cutler could spend most of Sunday evening either on his back or on the sideline.
My hope is that Ron Turner decides to swallow his pride and let the Bears’ passing offense open up the running this game, not the other way around.
By utilizing short screen passes and getting Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and Greg Olsen open in space, they can tire out the Bengals’ defense early on by forcing them to pursue. Cincinnati will be keying in on shutting down the Bears’ inside running game and getting to Cutler on 3rd-and-long situations because that’s been the blueprint for beating the Bears this year.
Looking back at last season, the Bears put up some of their best numbers when operating out of a no-huddle offense. Considering Jay Cutler’s prowess in two-minute situations, the Bears have an opportunity to catch Zimmer’s defense offguard early.
That could cause mental mistakes in coverage, which could open up running lanes for Forte. It could also allow speedster Jonny Knox to find seems in a shaky Cincinnati secondary. The Bengals d-backs give up 254.8 yards through the air per game, ranking them No. 28 in the league.
If the Bears are able to exploit an aggressive but flawed Cinci defense early in the game, they can string together long drives. Thus, keeping Chad Ochocinco off the field where he’ll be free to tweet to his heart’s content.
Should Ron Turner decide to utilize the same tired game plan of run, run, pass, punt, it could be a long night and a longer plane ride home. This is a Bears team that can’t afford to drop to 3-3 if they hope to keep pace with the undefeated Vikings in the NFC North.
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