Round Two

Second post of the year! Time to really get rollin'.

Looking ahead to this week's game against the Detroit Lions let's look at some of the key factors that will decide this game.

1) Cutler's Protection
Let's not kid ourselves here, Jay Cutler gets hit a lot... and I mean A LOT. The Bears have surrendered 15 sacks already. If we project those numbers for the rest of the season we're looking at a whopping 60 sacks by the end of the year! Something must be done. The offensive line will be once again without rookie tackle Gabe Carimi as he nurses a knee injury. Lance Louis looks to fill his spot this week against the Lions and he, along with the rest of the offensive line, will have their hands full. The Lions boast a strong front four highlighted by second year defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch. The offensive line MUST contain these two players to keep Cutler upright and give him time in the pocket.
2) Matt Forte
The star running back for the Bears posted a career day last week when he rushed for 205 yards. With all the heat Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz has taken for a lack of balance in the offense, look for Forte to  play a huge role next Monday and build on last week's success. Allowing Forte to carry the workload should ease pressure off Cutler and keep the offense from becoming one-dimensional. The Lions will look to stop Forte and the Bears must use this to their advantage; play-action pass anyone?
3) Stopping "Megatron" (Hey Autobots, any tips?)
There's no doubt Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson a.k.a. "Megatron" is cementing his place as one of the greatest wide receivers in the game today. Johnson has already posted 8 touchdowns and has had 2 touchdowns every game for four weeks. Sad to say, stride for stride NO ONE in the Bears secondary can consistently keep up with Johnson. So how will the Bears stop Megatron? Two words: Pass Rush. The Bears will need to consistently generate a solid pass rush against Matthew Stafford and prevent him from getting enough time to throw the ball to his stud wide receiver. Also look for Bears cornerback, Charles Tillman, to shadow Johnson for the majority of the game.  

Bears X-Factor: Devin Hester
Last week Hester set the all time record for punt return touchdowns with 11 and also had a 73-yard kickoff return. If Hester can generate on special teams, the short field can only help a Bears offense that has struggled as of late.