Bears Win Big in ATL
After dropping two straight games, the Chicago Bears found themselves victorious with a road win against the Atlanta Falcons putting them back at .500 with a 3-3 record.
For the first time this season, the duo of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery came up in a big way. They each had over 100 yards receiving helping their teammate Jay Cutler throw for the most yards in a single game as a Chicago Bear (381). Although he only threw one touchdown, Cutler played an outstanding game with zero turnovers. The Bears needed “Good Jay” to show up, and that he did. This is arguably the best game Cutler has had in a Bears uniform.
A big concern headed into the game was the Bears’ linebacker unit as they were without their top four linebackers. They started the combination of Khaseem Greene (last year’s fourth round pick), Christian Jones (an undrafted rookie) and Darryl Sharpton (added to roster days before the game). This starting combination had Bears fans worried about the already injury-ridden defense. To much surprise (and delight), this group played a solid game and in some ways was an improvement over the Bears’ starters. It will be interesting to see what the coaching staff does moving forward with this group. Lance Briggs and DJ Williams have looked slow this season, and last week the young guys were noticeably faster at attacking the football. The coaches have to seriously consider playing the young group moving forward.
Bears hope to “Phin-ish” Miami
This week the Miami Dolphins (2-3) will head to Chicago where they will play the Bears. Last week Miami nearly beat Green Bay, but Aaron Rodgers won the game with a last minute touchdown. Miami is a tougher opponent than their record shows, and this appears to be an interesting matchup as both the Dolphins and the Bears are looking to move up in their respected divisions.
Miami’s strength so far this season has been on the defensive side of the ball. The unit ranks in the top 10 in most major defensive categories including sacks and quarterback hurries. The defense will surely challenge Jay Cutler, as they are one of the better pass rushing teams. Last week, second year pro Jordan Mills, who is Chicago’s starting right tackle, struggled in pass protection. Surely the Dolphins will put the pressure on him hoping to get to Cutler.
Matt Forte has been busy putting up big numbers both as a runner and a receiver. He leads the NFL with 46 receptions and is on pace for 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air. All of the talk in Chicago has been focused on whether or not Cutler can have an MVP season, but most people are overlooking what Forte has done. His season has been brilliant thus far and if he keeps up this pace, then maybe the talk will shift to Matt Forte for MVP.
W2W4
Bears’ O-Line vs. Dolphins’ Pass Rush
The Dolphins’ front seven is a nasty group who play hard on every play. They are one of the better teams at rushing the passer, and with a Chicago line that has been anything but consistent, this proves to be a matchup to watch. If Chicago can keep Cutler clean then he and the rejuvenated duo of Marshall and Jeffery can excel. If Cutler is hurried too much, look for him to revert into “Bad Jay”. Everybody knows the disaster that can lead to.
Bears’ Linebackers vs. Dolphins’ Offense
With the Bears’ starters at linebacker still bothered with injuries, it will be interesting to see if the young group can have another good outing. We will find out Sunday whether or not last week’s game was a fluke. Look for Ryan Tannehill to challenge the young linebackers early with a bunch of crossing routes in the middle of the field.
Final Score
Bears 27 Dolphins 24
I want to answer Your Questions! Send me a question via Twitter @DeWittYourself with #DaBlog and I will pick one question every week to be featured on the blog!
