Mike Holmgren scripts his first 15 to 20 plays in each game. This script allows him to feel out the opposing defense and gain early momentum. This is especially important on the road and should build Matt Hasselbeck's confidence in a hostile environment. After finishing the script, Holmgren will go back over the successful plays and repeat them with new wrinkles. He will use a different personnel group, a slightly different formation or a new pre-snap motion. Hasselbeck will go to his short passing attack off of a seldom-used formation that will catch the Bears off guard. Seattle often does this out of their high-tempo attack, spending little time in the huddle.
The Seahawks are averaging 5.1 yards per play in the first half of games this year and much of this can be attributed to Holmgren's preparation.
? The loss of DT Tommie Harris (knee) is greater than many realize. While MLB Brian Urlacher is a great player, Harris is the most important player on the Bears' roster. While Chicago has some decent replacement options inside, none are comparable to Harris. Harris made everyone around him much better and it was not an accident that the defense lost much of its dominance when Harris was placed on injured reserve. He is a special attacking interior pass rusher and a dominant player against the run. He commanded double teams on nearly every snap. Without Harris, this is not the same defense as early in the season. Over the last month of the season, Chicago's defense allowed over 26 points per game.
? Rex Grossman can be two different players. When he is hot, he has been on fire, making big plays and crucial throws. But lately, Grossman doesn't handle a heavy pass rush well and turns the football over far too often. Grossman has turned the ball over 25 times this season -- the most by any playoff quarterback.
The Bears have made up for his inadequacies with a combination of clutch special teams and outstanding defensive play, but that is a very risky formula for a Super Bowl run. In the postseason, it is imperative that Grossman values the football and doesn't rush or force throws that he shouldn't make. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner needs to be smart with his calls by giving Grossman route combinations that give him an easy outlet throw to ease his mental strain under pressure. Grossman's ability to limit his turnovers could be the difference in this game. If Grossman struggles early on, do not be surprised to see Brian Griese. Bears coach Lovie Smith can't wait very long if Grossman falters.
? The Seahawks secondary has only seven healthy bodies for this game and that will cause matchup problems, especially when the Bears utilize their four- or five-wide receiver packages. Defensive coordinator John Marshall's play calling options are going to be very limited against multiple receiver looks. We expect the Bears to attack this weakness and utilize their extra receivers more than usual. Chicago doesn't have a true No. 1 receiving option, but they have plenty of pass catchers who can exploit single coverage against subpar cover men.
Look for Marshall to try and protect his corners much the same way he did against Dallas, by rolling a safety over the top with either a two- or four-deep scheme. Marshall might need to dial up some pressure this week against Grossman, but Seattle is not known as a heavy blitzing team and they also will fear exposing their suspect cornerbacks even further if the Bears are successful with their blitz pickup.
? Due to injuries and overall inconsistency, the Seahawks' offense has done a poor job of maintaining the ball and controlling the clock. This has caused their defense to spend far too much time on the field. Their undersized front seven and decimated secondary will be very prone to wearing down this Sunday against the Bears. The Bears will lean on their two-headed rushing attack to punish Seattle's defense and lighten the load on Grossman. Both Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones should see ample carries in this game, with Benson usually attacking the middle of Seattle's defense and Jones running on the edges. Jones urely will compare notes with his brother Julius, who racked up 112 yards on 22 carries against the Seahawks last week.
? To counter Chicago's ability to wear down their defense, the Seahawks must rely on Shaun Alexander. Alexander now seems fully healthy and has played much better over the past several games. Even if WR Darrell Jackson (toe) plays, he will not be as explosive and quick as usual. Underrated WR D.J. Hackett (hip/ankle) also will be limited if he plays at all in this game.
TE Jerramy Stevens made a big impact last week with five catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Since the injury of Mike Brown (foot), the Bears' safeties have become very ordinary and the talented tight end should find matchups to his advantage. Stevens should get plenty of looks again this week against the Bears' Cover 2 scheme that can vacate areas in the middle of the field. The Bears' pass defense has been very suspect of late and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera might not feel comfortable putting extra defenders in the box in this matchup, even with Seattle's injury issues at receiver.
Special Teams
Special teams and the field position battle should be dominated by the Bears. Devin Hester is a special returner who had an NFL record six touchdowns as a returner in his rookie season. Kicking to him can be dangerous. He has a rare combination of vision, pure speed and elusiveness in the open field. The Bears also have two other Pro Bowl special teams players in kicker Robbie Gould and coverage teams leader Brendon Ayanbadejo. This group has been outstanding in winning the field position battle and scoring points for Chicago. Punter Brad Maynard, who ranks near the bottom of playoff punters with a hang time of just 4.23 seconds, needs to get more hang time on his punts to give his coverage more time to get downfield. Even with Maynard's shortcomings, the Bears have the best special teams in the league by a wide margin.
? The Seahawks have their own weapon in field goal kicker Josh Brown, who has four game-winning field goals for the Seahawks this season. He has some inconsistency to his game, but should be used to kicking in poor weather. Brown is a strong-legged kicker who has 12 touchbacks this year, while Seattle's rookie punter Ryan Plackemeier is ranked 4th in the league in punting with a 45.0-yard average. In 84 attempts, Plackemeier also has placed 25 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line -- very impressive for a rookie punter. This could be crucial against the Bears' frightening return units. Seattle will counter with their own explosive return man in Nate Burleson. Burleson possesses the ability to take it the distance and could account for some valuable hidden yardage in Chicago.
Matchups
? Chicago WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Seattle CB Jordan Babineaux
? Chicago DE Alex Brown vs. Seattle LT Walter Jones
? Seattle RB Shaun Alexander vs. Chicago MLB Brian Urlacher
? Seattle TE Jerramy Stevens vs. Chicago SS Todd Johnson
? Chicago CB Charles Tillman vs. Seattle WR Deion Branch
Scouts' Edge
It took a botched snap on a field goal try to advance the Seahawks to the second round, but they are not complaining. Chicago had a bye week and should be very well rested for this home matchup, while Seattle is battling a lot of key injuries. Chicago abused Seattle 37-6 in Week 4 in a game where the Bears' defense sacked Hasselbeck five times, intercepted him twice and limited the Seahawks' running backs to a measly 38 yards on the ground. These are different football teams than the Week 4 versions, but Chicago is more physical and should be successful on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The Bears also have a substantial advantage in the kicking game and Devin Hester is a game-changing player. Ball security will be imperative for both teams, but we like Chicago to knock off Seattle this week.
Prediction: Bears 23, Seahawks 16
The Seahawks are averaging 5.1 yards per play in the first half of games this year and much of this can be attributed to Holmgren's preparation.
? The loss of DT Tommie Harris (knee) is greater than many realize. While MLB Brian Urlacher is a great player, Harris is the most important player on the Bears' roster. While Chicago has some decent replacement options inside, none are comparable to Harris. Harris made everyone around him much better and it was not an accident that the defense lost much of its dominance when Harris was placed on injured reserve. He is a special attacking interior pass rusher and a dominant player against the run. He commanded double teams on nearly every snap. Without Harris, this is not the same defense as early in the season. Over the last month of the season, Chicago's defense allowed over 26 points per game.
? Rex Grossman can be two different players. When he is hot, he has been on fire, making big plays and crucial throws. But lately, Grossman doesn't handle a heavy pass rush well and turns the football over far too often. Grossman has turned the ball over 25 times this season -- the most by any playoff quarterback.
The Bears have made up for his inadequacies with a combination of clutch special teams and outstanding defensive play, but that is a very risky formula for a Super Bowl run. In the postseason, it is imperative that Grossman values the football and doesn't rush or force throws that he shouldn't make. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner needs to be smart with his calls by giving Grossman route combinations that give him an easy outlet throw to ease his mental strain under pressure. Grossman's ability to limit his turnovers could be the difference in this game. If Grossman struggles early on, do not be surprised to see Brian Griese. Bears coach Lovie Smith can't wait very long if Grossman falters.
? The Seahawks secondary has only seven healthy bodies for this game and that will cause matchup problems, especially when the Bears utilize their four- or five-wide receiver packages. Defensive coordinator John Marshall's play calling options are going to be very limited against multiple receiver looks. We expect the Bears to attack this weakness and utilize their extra receivers more than usual. Chicago doesn't have a true No. 1 receiving option, but they have plenty of pass catchers who can exploit single coverage against subpar cover men.
Look for Marshall to try and protect his corners much the same way he did against Dallas, by rolling a safety over the top with either a two- or four-deep scheme. Marshall might need to dial up some pressure this week against Grossman, but Seattle is not known as a heavy blitzing team and they also will fear exposing their suspect cornerbacks even further if the Bears are successful with their blitz pickup.
? Due to injuries and overall inconsistency, the Seahawks' offense has done a poor job of maintaining the ball and controlling the clock. This has caused their defense to spend far too much time on the field. Their undersized front seven and decimated secondary will be very prone to wearing down this Sunday against the Bears. The Bears will lean on their two-headed rushing attack to punish Seattle's defense and lighten the load on Grossman. Both Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones should see ample carries in this game, with Benson usually attacking the middle of Seattle's defense and Jones running on the edges. Jones urely will compare notes with his brother Julius, who racked up 112 yards on 22 carries against the Seahawks last week.
? To counter Chicago's ability to wear down their defense, the Seahawks must rely on Shaun Alexander. Alexander now seems fully healthy and has played much better over the past several games. Even if WR Darrell Jackson (toe) plays, he will not be as explosive and quick as usual. Underrated WR D.J. Hackett (hip/ankle) also will be limited if he plays at all in this game.
TE Jerramy Stevens made a big impact last week with five catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Since the injury of Mike Brown (foot), the Bears' safeties have become very ordinary and the talented tight end should find matchups to his advantage. Stevens should get plenty of looks again this week against the Bears' Cover 2 scheme that can vacate areas in the middle of the field. The Bears' pass defense has been very suspect of late and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera might not feel comfortable putting extra defenders in the box in this matchup, even with Seattle's injury issues at receiver.
Special Teams
Special teams and the field position battle should be dominated by the Bears. Devin Hester is a special returner who had an NFL record six touchdowns as a returner in his rookie season. Kicking to him can be dangerous. He has a rare combination of vision, pure speed and elusiveness in the open field. The Bears also have two other Pro Bowl special teams players in kicker Robbie Gould and coverage teams leader Brendon Ayanbadejo. This group has been outstanding in winning the field position battle and scoring points for Chicago. Punter Brad Maynard, who ranks near the bottom of playoff punters with a hang time of just 4.23 seconds, needs to get more hang time on his punts to give his coverage more time to get downfield. Even with Maynard's shortcomings, the Bears have the best special teams in the league by a wide margin.
? The Seahawks have their own weapon in field goal kicker Josh Brown, who has four game-winning field goals for the Seahawks this season. He has some inconsistency to his game, but should be used to kicking in poor weather. Brown is a strong-legged kicker who has 12 touchbacks this year, while Seattle's rookie punter Ryan Plackemeier is ranked 4th in the league in punting with a 45.0-yard average. In 84 attempts, Plackemeier also has placed 25 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line -- very impressive for a rookie punter. This could be crucial against the Bears' frightening return units. Seattle will counter with their own explosive return man in Nate Burleson. Burleson possesses the ability to take it the distance and could account for some valuable hidden yardage in Chicago.
Matchups
? Chicago WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Seattle CB Jordan Babineaux
? Chicago DE Alex Brown vs. Seattle LT Walter Jones
? Seattle RB Shaun Alexander vs. Chicago MLB Brian Urlacher
? Seattle TE Jerramy Stevens vs. Chicago SS Todd Johnson
? Chicago CB Charles Tillman vs. Seattle WR Deion Branch
Scouts' Edge
It took a botched snap on a field goal try to advance the Seahawks to the second round, but they are not complaining. Chicago had a bye week and should be very well rested for this home matchup, while Seattle is battling a lot of key injuries. Chicago abused Seattle 37-6 in Week 4 in a game where the Bears' defense sacked Hasselbeck five times, intercepted him twice and limited the Seahawks' running backs to a measly 38 yards on the ground. These are different football teams than the Week 4 versions, but Chicago is more physical and should be successful on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The Bears also have a substantial advantage in the kicking game and Devin Hester is a game-changing player. Ball security will be imperative for both teams, but we like Chicago to knock off Seattle this week.
Prediction: Bears 23, Seahawks 16
