Pregame Thoughts and Analysis: Patriots Host Bears Sunday Afternoon
 Darrelle Revis and the Patriots secondary will have their hands full Sunday against the Bears. (USA TODAY Images) |
The New England Patriots will host the Chicago Bears Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots, now 5-2 on the season, last played on Oct. 16 when they defeated the visiting New York Jets 27-25. New England has won three straight games.
The Bears, with a 3-4 this year, lost against the Miami Dolphins 27-14 last week at home. Chicago has now lost three of their last four games. Here are a few thoughts on the upcoming game.
Pregame Thoughts --
First Impressions: The Bears have struggled the past month, but will present a tough challenge for the Patriots this Sunday. Jay Cutler has a gun-slinger mentality and certainly has the weapons to make any defensive coordinator sweat before kickoff.
Running back Matt Forte, tight end Martellus Bennett along with receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery will test New England in various ways. While Marshall and Jeffery might be the best wideout duo in the NFL, Forte and Bennett cannot be overlooked.
Defensively, the Bears are not the feared unit they once were. While Chicago is banged up, they've been a middle of the pack defense so far this season. Chicago has allowed an average of 24.4 points and 356 yards-per-game in seven contests.
Forte, Bennett Matchup Concerns: While many will look at Marshall and Jeffery first, rightfully so, Forte and Bennett will present matchup problems for the Patriots defense. After allowing 218 yards on the ground to the New York Jets in week seven, facing a talent like Forte is obviously worrisome.
Forte has averaged 4 yards-per-carry this year, totaling 448 yards and adding 52 receptions for 436 yards through the air. He's a weapon out of the backfield.
Bennett, listed at 6'6 265, will be a tough cover as well. Bennett has been productive this season, hauling in 41 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns. It seems the Patriots have struggled with opposing tight ends this year, so Bennett could be an under-the-radar threat.
Patriots Must Dial Up Pressure: With defensive end Chandler Jones is expected to miss "about a month" with a hip injury, New England will be without their best pass rush threat. With that being said, the Patriots cannot sit idly by, letting Cutler sit in the pocket to make plays downfield.
Cutler isn't a running QB, but has mobility and can take off for a few yards when allowed. The Patriots have been tentative when facing opposing mobile quarterbacks, but this week they should turn up the heat. The best defenses can bring pressure with four rushers, New England has not shown the ability to do that. Instead of letting receivers break free from coverage, the Patriots should bring five and, at times, six players to attack Cutler in order to force a turnover.
Is there a risk with bringing extra pressure? Of course, but the payoff can be enormous. Cutler has not thrown an interception in a game the Bears have won this season. Forcing him to make a mistake might be the biggest key to the contest.
Brady Should Attack Chicago's Secondary: The Bears are weak on the back-end of their defense and just suffered another injury to one of their most promising young players. Rookie CB Kyle Fuller, whose status is not yet known for Sunday, has a hip injury and a broken hand. After already losing Charles "Peanut" Tillman earlier in the year, Chicago is without two of their best defenders.
The Bears have had problems in the middle of their defense, which is a big advantage for New England. Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell should be able to eat up chunk yardage in the heart of Chicago's defense. Brady has been hot the past three weeks and will need to continue his strong play to win this contest.
Final Thoughts: This won't be an easy game and New England's defense will certainly be tested. Offensively, keeping Brady upright is key, allowing him to attack the middle of Chicago's defense. On the flip side, New England must tighten up their run defense and get after Cutler before he can connect with his many weapons down the field.
There are a lot of questions surrounding Chicago's locker room and team chemistry after another loss last week. This game is big for the Bears, looking to turn their season around and get back on track, so a fast start could send them into a tailspin. With a tough six game stretch ahead for New England, this being the first of the gauntlet, it will be interesting to see how the team looks after a 10 day break from action.
After losing Stevan Ridley and Jerod Mayo two weeks ago with season-ending injuries, now reportedly without Chandler Jones for a few weeks, it's the "next man up" mentality for the Patriots. We'll see if they're up to the challenge Sunday.
Prediction: Patriots 27, Bears 24
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