Bears-Pats Preview

Here's my preview of today's big Bears-Pats spectacular:

Who Has the Edge?

Offense
This will be the biggest test yet for Rex Grossman and the Bears' offense. It will be hard to establish the run against the NFL's #2 rush defense. If given time, Grossman should be able to have success against a banged-up secondary. If he doesn't have time to throw, and the running game gets stifled, it could be a long day for the Bears. One of the most interesting factors in this game will be how the Pats try to attack the Bears' defense. The Bears have been vulverable to the run in recent weeks, so the Pats will likely try to pound their defense with Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney. On the other hand, with nickel CB Ricky Manning Jr. suspended for this game, the Pats may go 5-wide and try to attack the Bears through the air. It's still more likely that the Pats will mostly run though, because the Bears' pass defense is #1 in the NFL. Edge: Patriots

Defense
The loss of nickel back Ricky Manning Jr. will definitely hurt the Bears, who may be forced to shift Chris Harris to strong safety and move Todd Johnson to the nickel back position, a position that Johnson usually only plays in the "heavy" run defense package. The main job for this unit will be stopping Dillon and Maroney and getting pressure on Tom Brady. The Pats defense will try to stuff the run and blitz from every direction in an effort to rattle Grossman. The secondary is banged up and just not very good though, so if Grossman has time, he can have some success deep. Edge: Even

Special Teams
Robbie Gould can't do much better than he's been doing, and Devin Hester has been big-time at key moments for the Bears. Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski has been average, hitting 10 of 14 field goals this season. Laurence Maroney is a dynamic kickoff returner, averaging 29.7 yards per return. Kevin Faulk has been pretty good on punt returns, averaging 11.4 yards per return. Edge: Bears

Coaching
How the Bears adjust to New England's blitz pressure and offensive attack plan will be among the biggest factors in this game. Lovie Smith and his staff have done a very good job for the Bears, but Bill Belichick has a bunch of rings to his credit. Edge: Patriots

Intangibles
The Pats had FieldTurf installed just in time for this game. How will a brand-new field affect each team? It may speed up both teams, it may help one team and not the other, it's hard to tell. It's still the Pats' stadium though. Edge: Patriots

Prediction
The Bears put up a good effort, but fall just a bit short. Patriots 16, Bears 9

Bears-Jets Preview

Here's my preview of today's Bears-Jets game:

Who Has the Edge?
Offense
After a rough first half in which almost nothing went right until the 3rd and 22 draw play, the Bears' offense rebounded with a big second half, scoring three TDs en route to a 38-20 win over the G-Men. So much for being "Teddy Bears", which the New York Daily News foolishly accused the Bears of being before last week's game. However, a similar start against an upstart Jets team could mean big trouble. Against what will likely be a very aggressive Jets defense, the Bears should stay on the ground again and pound the league's fifth-worst run defense. Thomas Jones should carry the ball at least 20-25 times again and pass the century mark in yardage. Rex Grossman must be careful to avoid turnovers against a unit that beat up Tom Brady in a huge upset over the Patriots last week. The Jets will likely try to pound the ball with Leon Washington on early downs and Kevan Barlow in short yardage and goal line situations. Chad Pennington will likely throw the short passes that the Bears sometimes have trouble with. Edge: Bears

Defense
The Bears really do need to get better at defending the run. The rushing yardage stats from the past three weeks are a little skewed because of some long runs by Frank Gore, Ronnie Brown, and Tiki Barber, but you don't want to give up those long runs either. It was a little unsettling to hear star middle linebacker Brian Urlacher say earlier this week that it's ok to give up rushing yards as long as you win the game. It was almost like Grossman saying after the Arizona game that he now knew the Bears could still win despite six turnovers (of course, they couldn't do it against Miami). They also need to adjust quicker to short passes by bringing their cornerbacks up and using press coverage more often. The Jets knocked Tom Brady around last Sunday to the tune of four sacks and a 17-14 victory. With their run defense having issues, look for the Jets to blitz Grossman from all angles in their 3-4 scheme in an effort to force turnovers. Edge: Bears

Special Teams
The Bears' special teams have been nothing short of spectacular this season, with Devin Hester scoring his third return TD and Robbie Gould hitting a 49-yard field goal last Sunday night. The Jets have a dynamic kickoff return man of their own in Justin Miller, who has taken two kickoffs back for TDs this season. Tim Dwight has been average on punt returns. Kicker Mike Nugent is 8-11 on field goals this year, with two misses from 30-39 yards. Edge: Bears

Coaching
Lovie Smith and the Bears' coaching staff has done a very good job in most areas this year. Jets rookie coach Eric Mangini, a Bill Belichick disciple, has taken what was expected to be one of the worst teams in football to a 5-4 record. Edge: Even

Intangibles
The Bears will be playing in the same stadium they played in last week, which might give them a little bit of an advantage. Edge: Bears

Prediction
This will likely be a close game, but the Bears pull it out again. Bears 23, Jets 13

Bears-Giants Preview

Here's my preview of tonight's huge Bears-Giants matchup:

Who Has the Edge?

Offense
The Bears simply must get back to the running game tonight. They have won their last 12 games in which Thomas Jones got 20 or more carries. They need to have game plans similar to last year's, but with a little more passing. As horrifying as last year's "run all the time" game plans may sound to Bears fans who have been spoiled by Rex Grossman's good games this year, they're a lot better than trying to be "The Greatest Show on Turf" and possibly giving the ball away 5 or 6 times. Grossman will be making his 16th NFL start tomorrow night. He isn't at the level yet where they can throw him out there and expect him to throw the ball around like a veteran, especially against tougher defenses. The Giants will be looking to do the same thing: establish the run with Tiki Barber. They will especially look to exploit the Bears with outside runs, which the Bears had a lot of trouble stopping last week against Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins. Chicago has been very effective against tight ends this year, but they'll have their toughest matchup yet against Jeremy Shockey. It will be critical to limit him. As for Plaxico Burress, I think the Bears have a little something special lying in wait for him. Edge: Giants

Defense
The Bears need to rebound on defense as well, keeping contain on outside runs and filling their gaps properly. This unit, especially the secondary, should come out pissed off and ready to pound the Giants. It'll be easier said than done though. If they can limit Barber, they should be able to force Eli Manning into a mistake or two. The Giants will come out looking for Rex Grossman's head, but that'll be a little harder to do without defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. The Giants' run defense isn't too bad either, ranked 8th in the NFL. If Grossman has time to throw though, New York could be in for a long night. Edge: Bears

Special Teams
For the Bears, Robbie Gould is still as solid as ever. Devin Hester must rebound from another critical mistake against the Dolphins, I think he will be a key figure in tonight's game. For the Giants, kicker Jay Feely has been accurate from in close, but is 2-4 from 40+ yards. Return man Chad Morton has been average on kickoffs and punts. Edge: Bears

Coaching
Bears coach Lovie Smith must get it into his players' heads that they just can't give the ball away. Offensive coordinator must stop his "Air Coryell" playcalling and run the ball more, even if it doesn't succeed early in the game. It will be interesting to see how Giants coach Tom Coughlin adjusts to all of his injuries on offense. The team is coming off a close game against Houston. Edge: Even

Intangibles
The Bears will come out either pissed off and ready to play or lacking some confidence after getting beaten up at home last week. How they respond will determine how this game, and the rest of the season, goes. The Giants and the New York media have been trash talking all week, and the Bears tend to play better when people doubt them. Edge: Bears

Prediction
The Bears will finally have a close game, and they'll come out and show the doubters that they're not overrated. Bears 20, Giants 13

Bears-Dolphins Preview

Here's my preview of today's Bears-Dolphins tilt.

Who Has the Edge?

Offense
The Bears' offense got back on track last Sunday against the 49ers, racking up 41 points by halftime before cruising the rest of the way. RB Thomas Jones ran as well as he had all season, Muhsin Muhammad got back into the game plan with a TD, and TE Desmond Clark had a huge game with two TDs. The running game will likely be the key today, as the Dolphins bring the 5th-ranked defense in the NFL (and 4th-ranked pass defense). Establish the run with Jones and a sprinkle of Cedric Benson, and that may open the door for play action and a bomb to Bernard Berrian later. Meanwhile, Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has not done a good job of calling plays to get the ball in the hands of his two best offensive players, RB Ronnie Brown and WR Chris Chambers. Brown hasn't been used nearly as much as he should be, and Chambers has largely been ignored in the offense this season. It's hard to blame them though, especially Chambers, because the ineptitude of his QBs (Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington) has also been a big factor in his struggles. Many times, they don't even look Chambers' way, instead deciding to throw short to Wes Welker or TE Randy McMichael. Joey should be good for at least two interceptions today, if not four or five. Edge: Bears

Defense
The Bears' defense also got back on track against San Fran, though they do have a tendency to relax a bit after jumping out to a big lead. Thanks to a 50+ yard run, Niners RB Frank Gore still managed to run for over 100 yards last Sunday, which is irritating at the very least. This unit will give up some rushing yards, but usually not enough to make a big difference. Packers RB Ahman Green ran for over 100 yards in Week 1, but the Bears still shut the Packers out. Also, opposing teams' #1 WRs continue to have some success against the Bears, as San Fran's Antonio Bryant notched a TD last week. Today, this unit should have a field day against Joey Harrington, who threw five picks the last time he faced the Bears last season. The Dolphins bring in the #5-ranked defense in the NFL and pass-rush specialist Jason Taylor, but their run defense is average. They will likely base their game plan around putting big pressure on Rex Grossman, but Grossman has been nearly perfect at home this season, with 11 TD passes and no interceptions. Edge: Bears

Special Teams
Bears kicker Robbie Gould was named Special Teams Player of the Month for October, but rookie sensation Devin Hester popped up on the injury report late in the week with a tight hamstring. Hester is still expected to play today, but the team may be wise to rest him if he isn't needed. Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare has struggled some this season, especially from long-range; he is just 1-5 from 50+ yards out. Special teams ace and slot WR Wes Welker has been average on kickoff and punt returns this year. Edge: Bears

Coaching
After struggling some against Arizona, Bears coach Lovie Smith and his staff had a good game against the Niners. Smith will likely be getting a big raise soon. As coach of one of the NFL's most disappointing teams, Dolphins coach Nick Saban has been the target of a lot of criticism. Offensive coordinator Mularkey has not done a good job of getting the ball into the hands of his best playmakers. Edge: Bears

Intangibles
On a dark Monday Night 21 years ago, Dan Marino and the Dolphins ruined the Bears' perfect season with a 38-24 victory. Today, whether anyone admits it or not, the Bears and their fans will be looking for some measure of revenge. Edge: Bears

Prediction
Even having the entire '72 team on the Miami sideline today won't help the Dolphins beat the Bears. Bears 27, Dolphins 6