Cutler on third down
Jay Cutler appears to be riding out a pretty significant slump considering he?s 0-for-22 on third-down conversions over his last eight quarters. In fact, the quarterback hasn?t converted a third down since the first half of Chicago?s 20-17 win on Sept. 27 over Green Bay. It?s easy to say the Bears need to make third downs more manageable by picking up suitable gains on first and second down. But a closer look reveals the Bears are 0-of-9 on the season on third-and-3 and third-and-4. Given the ferocity of Washington?s pass rush, converting third downs will be difficult. But Cutler needs to find his groove in this game, and move the chains on money downs.
Chicago?s protection
Conveniently, the Bears never seem to spend too much time worrying about inept protection up front. Coming out of last week?s six-sack fiasco, the Bears expressed optimism about Sunday?s game because for the second consecutive week the club will line up with the same five starting offensive linemen. Most of the linemen, including center Olin Kreutz, claim the club?s numerous protection schemes -- not to mention offensive line coach Mike Tice?s tendency to change them frequently -- isn't an issue, and things will improve against Washington?s dangerous pass rush. In the sometimes slow-developing route tree of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, solid protection is extremely important. Besides that, quarterback Jay Cutler can?t take much more punishment.
Martz?s playcalling
The Bears match up Sunday against a shoddy pass defense for the second week in a row. The Redskins rank near the bottom of the league against the pass (31st), giving up 298.2 yards per game. So just like last week, the question headed into this week?s game is whether Martz can push aside ego, and resist the urge to call for a Cutler aerial strike. The Bears became one-dimensional against Seattle too quickly, and the Seahawks never respected the run, which put them in pass-rush mode most of the game. Chicago?s lack of balance on offense last week (12 called runs and 39 passes) also played a role in the Seahawks leading time of possession by nearly 10 minutes. As good as the Bears defense has performed, the offense needs to do its part to keep the unit off the field for a while.
Rushing attack
Should Martz decide to employ a gameplan similar to the one he used against Carolina -- which led to the Bears racking up 218 yards rushing -- running backs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor need to produce, otherwise the offensive coordinator won?t have any problem reverting to the pass. Forte carried eight times for just 11 yards (including a 6-yard touchdown) against Seattle, and that?s not enough to warrant continued devotion to the rushing attack. Chester Taylor, meanwhile, averaged 7.8 yards per attempt against the Seahawks. So the Bears need to find the hot hand early, and lean on him, which should open up the passing attack. The Bears have utilized two-back formations featuring Forte and Taylor in the backfield at the same time. Such looks, especially running plays featuring misdirection, couldn?t hurt against Washington?s aggressive defense, which tends to over pursue.
Defensive intensity
Don?t expect the Bears to lower their intensity on defense because of the league?s recent crackdown on helmet-to-helmet contact. The club claims it won?t change the way it plays, but it?s definitely a situation worth watching -- not only in this game -- but in contests around the league. Chicago?s defense features plenty of ferocious tacklers such as Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, and Julius Peppers. With the threat of possible suspension looming with every big shot, you have to wonder whether the Bears will let up on some hits -- especially against the pass -- given the club?s stated desire to deter receivers from catching the ball with bone-crushing hits.
Jay Cutler appears to be riding out a pretty significant slump considering he?s 0-for-22 on third-down conversions over his last eight quarters. In fact, the quarterback hasn?t converted a third down since the first half of Chicago?s 20-17 win on Sept. 27 over Green Bay. It?s easy to say the Bears need to make third downs more manageable by picking up suitable gains on first and second down. But a closer look reveals the Bears are 0-of-9 on the season on third-and-3 and third-and-4. Given the ferocity of Washington?s pass rush, converting third downs will be difficult. But Cutler needs to find his groove in this game, and move the chains on money downs.
Chicago?s protection
Conveniently, the Bears never seem to spend too much time worrying about inept protection up front. Coming out of last week?s six-sack fiasco, the Bears expressed optimism about Sunday?s game because for the second consecutive week the club will line up with the same five starting offensive linemen. Most of the linemen, including center Olin Kreutz, claim the club?s numerous protection schemes -- not to mention offensive line coach Mike Tice?s tendency to change them frequently -- isn't an issue, and things will improve against Washington?s dangerous pass rush. In the sometimes slow-developing route tree of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, solid protection is extremely important. Besides that, quarterback Jay Cutler can?t take much more punishment.
Martz?s playcalling
The Bears match up Sunday against a shoddy pass defense for the second week in a row. The Redskins rank near the bottom of the league against the pass (31st), giving up 298.2 yards per game. So just like last week, the question headed into this week?s game is whether Martz can push aside ego, and resist the urge to call for a Cutler aerial strike. The Bears became one-dimensional against Seattle too quickly, and the Seahawks never respected the run, which put them in pass-rush mode most of the game. Chicago?s lack of balance on offense last week (12 called runs and 39 passes) also played a role in the Seahawks leading time of possession by nearly 10 minutes. As good as the Bears defense has performed, the offense needs to do its part to keep the unit off the field for a while.
Rushing attack
Should Martz decide to employ a gameplan similar to the one he used against Carolina -- which led to the Bears racking up 218 yards rushing -- running backs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor need to produce, otherwise the offensive coordinator won?t have any problem reverting to the pass. Forte carried eight times for just 11 yards (including a 6-yard touchdown) against Seattle, and that?s not enough to warrant continued devotion to the rushing attack. Chester Taylor, meanwhile, averaged 7.8 yards per attempt against the Seahawks. So the Bears need to find the hot hand early, and lean on him, which should open up the passing attack. The Bears have utilized two-back formations featuring Forte and Taylor in the backfield at the same time. Such looks, especially running plays featuring misdirection, couldn?t hurt against Washington?s aggressive defense, which tends to over pursue.
Defensive intensity
Don?t expect the Bears to lower their intensity on defense because of the league?s recent crackdown on helmet-to-helmet contact. The club claims it won?t change the way it plays, but it?s definitely a situation worth watching -- not only in this game -- but in contests around the league. Chicago?s defense features plenty of ferocious tacklers such as Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, and Julius Peppers. With the threat of possible suspension looming with every big shot, you have to wonder whether the Bears will let up on some hits -- especially against the pass -- given the club?s stated desire to deter receivers from catching the ball with bone-crushing hits.
