Vikings vs Bears, Bears look to rebound

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Bears will host the Viking this Sunday at Soldier Field after coming off their bye week. The Bears lost a heartbreaker in Detroit two weeks ago and will have to put that loss behind them as they face another division opponent.

Here are the keys to the game for the Bears to be successful.

Offensive: First thing the Bears need to do is get running back Matt Forte involved early and often against the Vikings. When the Bears played the Lions, Forte only had 64 rushing yards on the day.

The Vikings have the number six ranked rushing defense in the league but the Bears need to somehow find a way to run the ball effectively against the Vikings. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase is going to have to come up with a game plan that has a good ratio of run and pass plays.

If Forte can’t get it going on the ground, then the Bears need to utilize his pass catching abilities on the Vikings linebackers.

Quarterback Jay Cutler needs to also play big against the Vikings if the Bears want any chance of winning this Sunday. According to ESPN.com, Cutler has 2,606 yards, 23 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 91.5 quarterback rating in 11 games against the Vikings.

So Cutler needs to keep up his consistent play against the Vikings. With all of Cutler’s receivers being healthy this week, Cutler should have a big day. Cutler and wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey will have a complete week to get in sync and the duo should put up good numbers against the Vikings defense.

Defense: Any time the Bears play the Vikings, the number one goal is try and contain running back Adrian Peterson. This could prove to be difficult with linebacker Shea McClellin most likely missing his second straight game.

Peterson is the number four leading rusher in the league and he will be going against a Bears defense that is ranked number 20 in the league in rushing defense. According to ESPN.com, the Bears defense gives up 124.8 yards a game. With injuries on the defensive side of the ball and veteran defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff no longer on the team, the Bears could have a tough task on their hands with Peterson.

The Bears defensive will also have to account for rookie wide receiver Stefon Diggs. He has come out hot the past two weeks and with the Bears’ struggling secondary, Diggs could have a big game.

Special Teams: For the Bears’ special teams unit, they need to limit their penalties. Throughout the season the Bears have had costly mistakes, resulting in bad field position. So look for special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers to prepare his unit this week against the Vikings.

Final score Vikings 20 – Bears 24.

What Bears’ fans should look for following the bye week

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Bears go into the bye week at 2-4, but despite the underachieving record the Bears are heading in the right direction.

Here are six things you should look for throughout the rest of the season.

1.     The play of Jay Cutler: The Bears went into this season not expecting quarterback Jay Cutler to have the season he is having thus far. The 32-year-old quarterback has shown that he understands offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s new offense. Cutler is showing improvement each week, whether that is by changing the play at the line of scrimmage, calling out blitzes or leading fourth quarter comebacks, Cutler is getting the job done.

So Bears’ fans should watch to see how Cutler finishes off the season. With the way he is playing now, Cutler is making a strong case for the Bears to keep him on the roster for next season.

2.     What is wrong with Kyle Fuller? Bears’ fans thought that second year player Kyle Fuller would excel in defensive coordinator’s Vic Fangio’s new defense. That hasn’t been the case thus far this season. After having a strong rookie year, Fuller has been inconsistent to say the least. Fuller continues to get beat in pass coverage and also has a tendency to draw pass interference calls.

The Bears defense has struggled in pass coverage as a whole, but Fuller was supposed to be the one solid player in the secondary. The former first round pick, needs to show the coaches he can create turnovers and be a player they can count on for the rest of the season.

3.     Defensive line needs to create pressure: Pernell McPhee and Jarvis Jenkins have been the most consistent pass rushers for the Bears, but other than that, nobody has stepped up. The defensive line has made changes throughout the season, with Jeremiah Ratliff being the latest Bear being replaced by former defensive end for the Pittsburg Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars Ziggy Hood.

The line at times can get to the opposing quarterbacks but the pressure needs to become more consistent. The Bears have a weak secondary so creating pressure is something the Bears absolutely need. Hopefully a player like Ego Ferguson or new acquisition Hood can bring a spark to the Bears after the bye week.

4.      Receivers making plays: The Bears receivers have been banged up all season but that hasn’t stopped the unit from making plays. Receivers like Marquess Wilson, Joshua Bellamy, Eddie Royal and even rookie Cameron Meredith have all contributed on offense this season.

The Bears last week against the Lions showed how much they missed their star wide out Alshon Jeffrey. With the backups gaining confidence and Jeffrey on the field, this Bears’ offense can do some damage. Cutler will have all his receivers healthy following the bye week and look for him to utilize every single one of them.

5.     Rookie Center playing well: With starting center Will Mongomery suffering a season ending injury against the Raiders, rookie Hroniss Grasu was forced into a starting role. So far, the rookie has played well and looks to have established good chemistry with Jay Cutler.

The big thing to watch as the season goes on is whether on not defenses will blitz more through the A gaps. Grasu is still a rookie and teams facing the Bears will look to take advantage of him, by throwing some complex blitzes his way. So watch too see how Grasu handles the upcoming pressure from opposing defenses.

6.     Who steps up at safety? All season long the Bears have had questions at the safety position. Vetern starting safety Antrel Rolle was a good pick up for the Bears, but a high-ankle sprain has forced him to be sidelined. The man replacing Rolle is undrafted rookie Harold Jones – Quartey, who made some plays in the loss to the Lions.

The Bears are also starting Adrian Amos, who has played okay thus far. So with the Bears starting two rookie safeties, it will be interesting to see how they communicate with the rest of the defensive backs. Both players have a lot to learn as the season goes on, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either of them struggle.

Week 6 - Bears vs Lions game breakdown

Fantasy football start 'em and sit 'em QB's for week 6

Bears vs Lions, Bears look for third straight victory

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Chicago Bears will be going to Ford Field to play the Detroit Lions this week and will look to win their third straight game.

For the Bears to be successful against the Lions they will have to play to their strengths. The Bears need to force Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to throw the ball. According to ESPN.com, the Bears have the 4^th ranked passing defense, only the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and New England Patriots allow less yards through the air.

The Lions will come out early in the game, looking to establish some kind of running game. According to ESPN, the Lions are the worst in the league running the football. They have 244 yards rushing on the season, with an average of 48.8 yards a game.

So the Bears can stack the box when the Lions show obvious running formations and rely on their 4^th ranked passing defense to get the job done against Stafford and his receivers. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be the main focal point for the Bears defense this week.

If the Bears can apply pressure on Stafford, minimize the gain on first down, when the Lions run the ball and control Calvin Johnson, the Bears defense will do just fine.

Offensively, the Bears need to and will establish the run game against the Lions 27^th ranked rushing defense. Bears running back Matt Forte is the NFL’s second leading rusher and will have a huge game against the Lions.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler could be missing one of his top targets this week with the following players listed as questionable, receivers Alshon Jeffrey (hamstring) and Eddie Royal (ankle) and tight end Martellus Bennett (quad).

Despite the injuries, Cutler will find a way to utilize the receivers he has and put them in positions to make plays.

Bears win, 28 – 10.