Week Seven Preview: Bears Look To Get Back On Track Against The Bengals
Matt Forte must pick up his game against the surprise Bengals run defense.
Overview: Both the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals are coming off losses and need a win to stay in contention in their respective divisions.
Last Week: The Bears fell just short in a 21-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Chicago had a chance to tie the game at the end, but were unable to convert. Jay Cutler passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns, but the rushing game continued their season-long struggles.
The Bengals had a rough second half in a 28-17 loss to the Houston Texas. Leading 17-14 at intermission, the Bengals were unable to score in the second half while surrendering two scores. They allowed Texans quarterback Matt Schaub to pass for 382 yards and four touchdowns.
All-Time Series: The Bengals hold a 5-3 series advantage, including victories in the last four encounters. Carson Palmer had three touchdown passes in a 24-3 victory over the Bears in 2005.
Key Questions Entering Week Six:
Chicago Bears: After a while it is starting to feel like beating a dead horse, but the decline of the rushing offense for the Bears this season has been a perplexing question that must be answered if the team hopes to make a playoff push. Jay Cutler and the passing game has been carrying the team, but Matt Forte and the rushing game must provide some balance. Forte has gained only 294 yards in five games and is averaging 3.4 yards per attempt.
Cincinnati Bengals: While the Bengals defense is ranked 11th in the NFL against the run, they have fallen to 28th against the pass following their abysmal performance against the Texans. Facing Jay Cutler, Devin Hester and the Bears passing attack, the Bengals will have another tough challenge. The question is whether Marvin Lewis and the defense have made the necessary corrections to their defensive schemes to slow down Cutler and the Bears.
Player To Watch:
Chicago Bears: Seventh year defensive back Charles Tillman is part of a secondary that will be challanged by Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco and the Bengals passing attack. The Bears’ defense has struggled against some of the elite receivers in the league and must stop Ochocinco from having a big game. The “twitter war” that Ochocinco has waged against the Bears secondary should provide motivation for the defense to shut down the explosive receiver.
Cedric Benson will be facing his former team for the first time this Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengals: You can bet that Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson has had this game circled on his calendar since the schedules were first announced. The former first round pick of the Bears has made several salvos denouncing the Bears front office for how they handled him and has accused the team of making it tough for him to find work in the league. With 531 yards rushing in six games, Benson is working on an All-Pro type season and would certainly like nothing more than to show his old team that he can be one of the elite players in the league.
Predictions: I expect Cedric Benson to have a big game for Cincinnati, but I also expect that the Bengals defense will struggle to stop Cutler and Company. This game could be much higher scoring that you would usually expect from the Bears and Bengals.
Final Score: Chicago Bears 27, Cincinnati Bengals 20.
Loading ...