By Vince Vitale 

Last week was just another example of why NFL football is the best sport in the world. The St. Louis Rams were trailing 16-14 to the Washington Redskins in the 3rd quarter and were on the verge of starting the season 0-3 for the fourth straight year. The Rams then outscored the Redskins 16-0 over the remaining portion of the game for a 30-16 victory ending a 10 game losing streak. Now just one short week later the town has a buzz to it talking Rams football. The Rams with a win today over the Seattle Seahawks would move into first place in the NFC West. For the first time in a long time that light at the end of the tunnel may not be a train. 

Well lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Rams still have lost 27 of the last 29 games they have played. In addition the Rams have also lost 10 straight to the Seattle Seahawks, 15 straight to NFC West foes, and 11 straight NFC West games at home. We still have a lot of work to do and some more pieces of the puzzle to acquire but for the first time in a long time the Rams are competing. The Rams for the first time in a very long time or out of the bottom 10 in soe major stats like rushing and passing offense where they have moved up to 20th.

So today is a big day and a big game. It is time to prove if the win over Washington was just a lucky win or a win that can help springboard a struggling franchise and give them the needed confidence to progress forward in their journey. The Rams most likely will be without Steven Jackson today as he still is suffering from the groin injury he suffered in the Redskins game. Both Steven Jackson and Oshiomogho Atogwe will be game time decisions prior to kickoff. The Rams have so many injured players this week they are not sure if they even have 45 healthy players to dress for the game. In addition to Steven Jackson’s injury Keith Toston is also injured so newly acquired Chauncey Washington may be pressed into service. So there is once again a lot of pressure on rookie Sam Bradford to produce. The Seahawks are 30th against the pass and I expect a big game from Bradford today, we will need it.

Key matchups – Sam Bradford will need to pick apart the Seattle secondary today with our questions at running back. Also will Kenneth Darby be able to produce just enough to keep Seattle from an all out attack of Bradford. Will the Rams front seven be able to contain Justin Forsett. Forsett is a back with a lot of promise but has not been give enough carries yet to shine. This is the type of back in the past that has ripped the Rams for 100+, that can not happen today. Will the Rams linebackers be able to shut down or minimize TE John Carlson who has killed the Rams in the past. In a close even game often special teams are the difference and the Rams are going to have to keep the ball away from Leon Washington who returned to kicks for touchdowns last week against the San Diego Chargers.

On paper this game is pretty even. The Rams seem to be moving in the right direction while the Seahawks seem to be falling however they did find a way to win against the 49ers and Chargers. Both teams lack explosion on offense and have average defensive ability. This game should come down to mistakes and a couple of plays here or there. I am very worried about Leon Washington being the difference. I am going to put my faith for once in the St. Louis Rams this week. I just believe Bradford is what it takes for the Rams to now win these types of games. The Seahawks do not play well on the road and so far the Edward Jones Dome has been pretty loud and may provide the slight edge needed for the Rams today. Today is the day fans have been waiting for, for a very long time. Today is a big game and it is time to see if the light at the end of the tunnel is the Rams future or still another oncoming train.

Prediction St. Louis Rams 27-20 over the Seattle Seahawks

http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

9/3/11: They could give San Francisco a run for their money as the worst team in the league, but Seattle does have the home field advantage of Qwest field working for them. Tarvaris Jackson was the worst starting quarterback hands down this preseason. It would be very surprised if he wasn’t benched for Charlie Whitehurst at some point this season, but I don’t know if Whitehurst will be much better.

The Seahawks went into week 17 in an interesting situation last year. They were 6-9 and missing their starting quarterback. If they lost by 15+, they’d set a record for most losses in a single season by 15+ with 10. For those of you who can’t do math, that would have meant that they lost all 10 of their games by 15+. However, if they won that game, which they did, they would make the playoffs. The Seahawks made the playoffs and actually won a playoff game. Let’s just say it was a weird season for them.

Matt Hasselbeck was their best player last season and a huge part of the reason why they won 7 games, made the playoffs, and won a playoff game. Hell, the old veteran could have easily won another playoff game if his receivers didn’t drop 7 passes and his defense could actually hold onto one of Jay Cutler’s interceptions.

Hasselbeck is gone, obviously a bad thing for this team. I could kind of understand this team letting Hasselbeck go in favor of seeing what Charlie Whitehurst has. He probably didn’t have anything, but they gave up the equivalent of 2 third rounders for him, as well as a sizable contract. They might as well at least make sure he doesn’t have anything.

Instead, the Seahawks let Hasselbeck go and won’t even be letting Whitehurst start. They let Hasselbeck go in favor of Tarvaris Jackson. Tarvaris Jackson is not a starting quarterback in this league. I don’t know why anyone would think he is. Without Hasselbeck and without the luck that allowed them to go 7-9 despite a minus 97 point differential, the Seahawks figure to be really bad this season.

The offensive line was a weakness last season, but should be a strength this season. Center Max Unger and left tackle Russell Okung missed significant time with injuries last season. Both are talented players and will help their offensive line now that they’re healthy, though Okung frequently suffers ankle sprains. He suffered one in their first preseason game, but is expected to be ready for week 1. He’s still an injury risk, but he’s very talented when healthy. The 6^th overall pick in 2010 allowed just 4 sacks and 16 quarterback pressures on 684 snaps last season. If he can ever play a full season, he’ll make a Pro Bowl.

The Seahawks also added 3 other offensive linemen this offseason, drafting James Carpenter in the first round, John Moffitt in the 3^rd round, and signing Robert Gallery from the Raiders. Carpenter, a reach in the first round, will start on the right side. Moffitt will start at right guard. Both will be hurt by the lockout, but they should be minor upgrades over what they had at the position last season.

Gallery, meanwhile, should be a major upgrade at left guard. Gallery, once a huge bust as the 2^nd overall pick in 2004 (after Eli Manning, before Larry Fitzgerald and Philip Rivers), has reinvented himself as a guard. He’s become one of the best guards in the league over the past few years. He reunites with Tom Cable, his Head Coach in Oakland. Cable is the offensive line coach in Seattle and was a huge part of the reason why Gallery was able to evolve into the player he is today.

Their receiving corps, another weakness last season, has been upgraded this offseason. The talented, but injury prone Sidney Rice is a huge upgrade opposite Mike Williams. Meanwhile, Zach Miller is a talented tight end and a huge upgrade over John Carlson, who has been relegated to being a backup. He could be traded. However, they won’t get the full value of their strong receiving corps because of how bad Tarvaris Jackson is at quarterback.

They also won’t be able to run the ball very well either. Marshawn Lynch has struggled behind poor run blocking lines in Buffalo and Seattle in his career. Lynch has the best offensive line of his career, so he won’t have any excuses this season. He should run better, but it is possible that the 2007 11^th overall pick just lacks the desired talent or motivation to be a strong lead back in this league. Justin Forsett will be his backup. Forsett can’t carry a load or anything, but he’s a nice change of pace back. Leon Washington, meanwhile, will focus mostly on being a dynamic kick returner. Washington is extremely talented, but will be hurt by the NFL’s new bullshit kickoffs at the 35 rule that has made kickoff returners far less valuable.

Speaking of that bullshit new rule, I have been looking for a place to write about it and why I think its bullshit. I figure this is as good a place as anywhere because Leon Washington might be the best kick returner in the league. He returned 3 kickoffs to the house last season. The NFL has moved the kickoff spot up to the 35, leading to two times as many touchbacks.

They have made this rule in the name of player safety. However, all the players hate it. The players would rather risk their long term health than play this pussy shit. I’m not saying they’re right for choosing that, but it’s their choice. They should be able to make it for themselves. They just shouldn’t expect the NFL to pay for their health care when they’re 50, broke, and can’t keep the drool in their mouths. They know what they’re getting themselves into and they want to get into it anyway.

I think it would be interesting to see what the players would choose if given a choice between getting to set their own rules and getting their health care covered when they’re retired. You see, the NFL is not just making these rule changes in the name of player safety. They want the players to be safe because they don’t want to spend a ton of money on their health care after they retire. It’s a financial decision by the NFL, which is fine, but I think the players should be given a choice between normal kickoffs, helmet to helmet tackles, etc and getting retirement benefits.

Anyway, back to the Seahawks. They managed 37 sacks last season despite having mediocre talent on the defensive line. Raheem Brock had 9 sacks and Chris Clemons has 11 sacks last season. Clemons had managed just 20 sacks in the previous 5 seasons, while Raheem Brock had managed just 28.5 sacks in his previous 8 seasons. Both had by far the best seasons of their careers last season. They could easily not repeat those numbers this season. Defensive line coach Dan Quinn is gone, taking a position as the defensive coordinator at the University of Florida.

One defensive lineman who will have a great season even without Dan Quinn is Brandon Mebane, who has been good even since before Quinn got there. He’s a fantastic run stuffer who offers a decent pass rush as well. He recently signed a long term deal. Red Bryant, another fantastic run stuffer, will start opposite him. He’s had injury problems in the past, but it’s noticeable when he’s not in the lineup. They’re much worse against the run without him.

Free agent acquisition Alan Branch, as well as Kentwan Balmer, and possibly even Colin Cole, once he returns from injury, will also see time on the defensive line. They love mixing things up and rotating defensive linemen. They should once again be strong against the run (15^th last year even with injuries), but they will struggle to generate a pass rush without Dan Quinn coaching up Clemons and Brock. There’s a reason they were interested in Osi Umenyiora.

At linebacker, gone is Lofa Tatupu, once their best linebacker and the heart and soul of this defense. Tatupu was cut this offseason because he refused to restructure his contract. David Hawthrone, who played on the strong side in place on the injured LeRoy Hill, will move inside. He’s a very underrated linebacker. He was their best linebacker last season.

On the weak side, the Seahawks are hoping Aaron Curry can live up to his potential as the 4^th overall pick in 2009. However, it is appearing that Curry will be one of those players who, while good, never lives up to his billing as a top 5 pick. You can’t exactly call him a bust either. He’s their 2^nd best linebacker after Hawthorne.

On the strong side, LeRoy Hill is back. He’s had legal problems and injury problems that have caused him to miss 21 games in the last 2 seasons, but he was an above average player before he got hurt. If he struggles or gets hurt again, they don’t have too many other options. 7^th round rookie Malcolm Smith is the 2^nd stringer. Career backup Matt McCoy could also step into that void. They also have undrafted rookie Michael Morgan in the mix. So basically, they are really hoping Hill can stay healthy.

The Seahawks don’t have a lot of talent in the secondary either. They ranked 24^th against the pass even with a solid pass rush. Marcus Trufant allowed a 60.2% completion percentage with 14.2 yards per completion and 6 touchdowns to 1 interception. #2 cornerback Kelly Jennings allowed a 54.3% completion percentage with 7 touchdowns to 1 interception. Both should be even worse this season, assuming the pass rush declines. Nickel cornerback Richard Sherman is a 5^th round pick rookie.

On safety, Lawyer Milloy is no longer a starter. That’s good news. He was one of the worst coverage safeties in the league last year. However, that’s about where the good news stops. His replacement, Kam Chancellor, is a 2^nd year player without a lot of upside. Easily the most talented defensive back on their roster is Earl Thomas, the 14^th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He should be even better in his 2^nd season, but I think the pass defense as a whole will be even worse this season. There’s just not a lot of talent in their defensive backfield and without a strong pass rush, their secondary could easily get lit up frequently this season.

With Matt Hasselbeck gone and, presumably, worse luck this season, this should be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. They have talent in their receiving corps and on the offensive line, but there’s only so much those guys can do if there isn’t the talent at quarterback and they don’t have the talent at quarterback. They also won’t be able to run the ball very well because I just don’t think Marshawn Lynch is that talented.

Defensively, they’ll once again be solid against the run, but they’ll really struggle against the pass, even more than last season because they’ll likely lack a pass rush. They have the worst quarterback in the division and they also have to play a first place schedule which almost isn’t fair. However, they have the magic of Qwest Field, which should win them a few games. They could easily go 0-8 on the road, however.

Quarterback: D

Running backs: C

Receiving corps: B

Offensive line: B-

Run defense: B

Pass rush: C

Pass coverage: D

Coaching: C-

Projection: 4-12 4^th in NFC West

Quarterback

The Seahawks’ defense was a real strength in 2011, but the offense was the problem and the reason why this was just a 7-9 team. They’ll be better in 2012 offensively with presumably better health. Guys like Sidney Rice, Russell Okung, and Robert Gallery missed significant time with injury this season. However, I really think the quarterback position is holding up this team. Can they go 10-6 next year? With some luck, yes. However, I don’t think Tarvaris Jackson is the long term answer and the guy to lead them into the playoffs. They may reach for a quarterback like Ryan Tannehill or Brock Osweiler at 11 or trade down for them. If not, expect them to take a developmental quarterback after the first round. At the very least, he’d be a better backup than Charlie Whitehurst.

Defensive End

At the left end/5-technique position, Red Bryant is a free agent. He’ll be one of their offseason priorities and he has expressed interest in returning, so I do expect him to be back. Raheem Brock is also a free agent. The situational pass rusher had a down season in 2011 after getting arrested in the offseason. A 34 year old free agent, he probably won’t be back in the same role. At right end, Chris Clemons had another great season, but he’ll be a 31 year old free agent next offseason. Defensive end will be a much priority for them this offseason as they try to improve upon the 33 sacks they had in 2011. If they don’t go for a quarterback in the first round, they’ll take someone like Quinton Coples, Whitney Mercilus, Melvin Ingram or Courtney Upshaw at 11.

Cornerback

Richard Sherman had a fantastic rookie season after being a mere 5^th round pick last April. Former CFL player Brandon Browner had a mixed back of a season. He was awful in their loss to Pittsburgh and committed 15 penalties, 2^nd most among all cornerbacks behind only Stanford Routt, but also had some dominant moments. His 15 pass deflections were 3^rd behind just Darrelle Revis and Joe Haden. Besides, they don’t have much depth behind those two. Neither Walter Thurmond nor Marcus Trufant can stay healthy, while the latter is a free agent and likely won’t be brought back.

Guard

Both Robert Gallery and John Moffitt couldn’t stay healthy last season. Neither played particularly well either. The former will be 32 this offseason so he could be in the declining stage of his career while the latter was just a 3^rd round pick last April. They could use another guard in the mix.

Running Back

Marshawn Lynch’s beast mode ability carried over from their playoff win against New Orleans to last season as he had career highs in yards and touchdowns. Just in time for him to hit free agency. It always worries me when someone has their best season right before they hit free agency, particularly if it’s an underachieving former first round pick who has had off the field issues before like Lynch. However, for the right price, he’s definitely worth resigning. If for whatever reason they don’t resign him, they’ll need to find a replacement because their depth behind him is pretty poor. If he’s not resigned, Trent Richardson makes too much sense at 11. Even if he is resigned, they could bring in another back for depth purposes because neither Leon Washington nor Justin Forsett could carry the load should Lynch get hurt.

Outside Linebacker

Leroy Hill has had a past full of problems, ranging from injuries to off the field problems to suspensions, but he put together a good season last year. He’s a free agent this offseason so the Seahawks will have to decide what his long term future is with the team.

Middle Linebacker

David Hawthorne does not have Hill’s checkered past and he is one of the best middle linebackers in the league. The Seahawks have said he’s not a priority to resign (they also have to resign Lynch, Hill, and Bryant), but he really should be. They can’t let him go and they don’t really have an internal replacement so if he isn’t resigned, they’ll need to find an external solution.

Offensive Tackle

Both Russell Okung and James Carpenter also had injury problems in 2011 (only center Max Unger stayed healthy the whole season). Okung hasn’t been able to stay healthy in his brief 2 year career thus far. They could use a better swing tackle. Their offensive line really struggled this year after being hit with injuries, allowing 50 sacks.

() FA Rank

QB Matt Hasselbeck

QB Nate Davis

QB JP Losman

RB Leon Washington- resigned 4 years 12.5 million

WR Ruvell Martin

TE Chris Baker

OT Sean Locklear

OT Tyler Polumbus

OT Ray Willis

G Chester Pitts

C Chris Spencer

DT Brandon Mebane (#29)

One of the best run stuffers in the league as the Seahawks run defense was noticeably worse when he was out of the lineup. He also has 11 sacks in 4 seasons so he can do that a little as well.

DT Junior Siavii

DE Raheem Brock

OLB LeRoy Hill

OLB Will Herring

OLB Matt McCoy

CB Kelly Jennings

CB Roy Lewis (exclusive rights)- tendered

CB Kennard Cox- resigned 1 year 550K

S Lawyer Milloy

S Jordan Babineaux 

K Olindo Mare 

Offseason moves:

Cut Chris Baker

Waived Nate Davis

Resigned Leon Washington

Resigned Kennard Cox

Cut Roy Lewis

Draft

CB Josh Bellamy (Louisville)

DT Michael Brockers (LSU)

CB Ron Brooks (LSU)

TE Derek Carrier (Beliot)

RB Derrick Coleman (UCLA)

DE Matt Conrath (Virginia)

DE Claude Davis (South Florida)

CB Donnie Fletcher (Boston College)

OT David Gonzales (Washington State)

S Brandon Hardin (Oregon State)

QB Chandler Harnish (Northern Illinois)

S George Iloka (Boise State)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

OT Mike Ryan (Connecticut)

FB Brad Smelley (Alabama)

OLB Korey Toomer (Idaho)

OLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State)

25. OT James Carpenter F

This pick and Christian Ponder 12^th to the Vikings were the biggest reaches by my board in the first round. The Seahawks get the first round’s only F, unlike Minnesota, because at least Minnesota was taking a quarterback. The Seahawks were reaching for a right tackle. I don’t even care that this fills a need. Carpenter is a huge reach here. I thought he was a decent mid round prospect as a right tackle at Alabama and then he sucked in the Senior Bowl. How he ended up in the first round, I don’t know and neither does his former college coach Nick Saban. That’s a pretty bad sign.

75. G John Moffitt B+

Another offensive line upgrade, I’ll say this. At least they’re addressing the right part of the team. Moffitt is only a minor reach, though there were better guards available.

99. OLB KJ Wright C-

They could have maybe taken a linebacker late for depth purposes, but with all of their other needs (QB, WR, DT, CB, S), this was not a smart pick.

107. WR Kris Durham D

The Seahawks address a need here with a wide receiver, but Kris Durham in the 4^th round? I didn’t even have him in my top 300.

154. CB Richard Sherman A

Finally a nice pick. I think Sherman has great upside and he’s just learning the position as a converted former wide receiver. He fills a huge need and is a good value.

156. S Mark LeGree C

Safety was definitely a need, but I had LeGree rated at least 2 rounds lower than this so this was a reach by my book.

173. CB Byron Maxwell C

Another corner? Well I can’t say they didn’t need one, but I didn’t have Maxwell in my top 300.

205. DE Lazarius Levingston C-

Defensive end was not a need and this pick was a reach. This is a bad, bad draft for them, in my opinion.

242. OLB Malcolm Smith C

Another linebacker? Well Smith can play special teams, but they needed other things like a developmental quarterback or a defensive tackle in case Mebane leaves in free agency. The only reason this isn’t a D or an F is because Carroll coached Smith at USC so he knows his abilities better than any other head coach would.

Overall:

I think this might have been the worst draft. They started out with an F in the first round, which is tough to work back from. It didn’t get much better from there. Whether it was drafting a linebacker unnecessarily in the 4^th round or taking Kris Durham at 107 or making a bunch of late reaches, this was not a great draft. Only the John Moffitt and the Richard Sherman picks made any sense to me. They didn’t add a single quarterback. The only reason this draft is not an F is because they at least tried to build their line upfront, a huge need. By giving them a low grade, I’m not trying to say I’m smarter than Pete Carroll and the Seattle drafting staff. I’m just saying that think they’ll regret a lot of this draft in a few years. It happens every year, there are bad drafts. I’m just trying to predict them based on my assessments of team needs, my general drafting philosophy, and my draft board. What Seattle did, didn’t line up. I will be wrong with a few of my grades in a few years, which is why I not only regrade drafts down the line, but also grade my own grades.

Grade: D

By Ryan Glab 

Bears offense vs. Seahawks defense

Jay Cutler will return to action this week after sitting out last game due to lingering effects from the concussion he suffered against the Giants two weeks ago. That should immediately open up the passing game from what we saw last week when Todd Collins had a disastrous outing. What also will help is the return of Chris Williams, who has been moved inside to left guard to replace Roberto Garza, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week. Some are skeptical whether the move will work based on Frank Omiyale’s poor performance at guard last year after being moved inside from tackle, but at this point it makes sense to at least try. The difference between Williams and Omiyale is that Omiyale is a more natural fit at tackle whereas many scouts felt Williams would make a better NFL guard than tackle. We’ll see how that goes, but a more healthy and young Williams is an upgrade over a hobbled Garza. Last week, out of necessity, the Bears got the run game going and they stuck with it even when it started to stall in the middle of the game. Against the Seahawks, however, they’re probably not going to attempt to run the ball too much against Seattle’s No. 2 run defense. And why bother trying? The Seahawks have the second-worst pass defense in the league and Cutler should be able to pick apart the secondary with the help of a good game plan by Mike Martz. The past two weeks the Bears receivers have not been involved in the game plan much due to the beating Cutler took in the Giants game and the focus on the run game against Carolina. I expect Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olsen to have a more active role this week. Matt Forte will be included in the passing game as well.

Advantage: Bears

Bears defense vs. Seahawks offense

The Bears defense has inched its way up the rankings to No. 17 overall in pass defense, and following another solid outing against a good Panthers running attack, they’re back up to the third-best run defense in the NFL. Of course, the pass defense is always going to be deceivingly low because the rankings are based on yards and Lovie Smith’s defense will always give up large chunks of yards throughout a game. The two key stats to keep an eye on are rushing yards and points scored, and the Bears have the No. 6 defense in points allowed. Seattle, meanwhile, has scored the fifth-fewest points in the league through the first five weeks of the season, which means if the Bears can put a few touchdowns on the board, they’ll be in good shape. Twenty points seems to be the barometer for success. The Seahawks are woefully bad at running the football which is why they acquired running back Marshawn Lynch from the Bills last week. Lynch is a physical runner and the Bears no doubt will be hurting from the loss of Lance Briggs — if indeed Briggs does not play due to his ankle injury. Much like on the first drive of the Panthers game, you may see the Seahawks have some early success running the football as the Bears defense gets its feet wet. Over the course of the game, though, unless there is a big broken play, I don’t expect much success on the ground from Seattle. If Martz’s offense scores quickly and gets out to a comfortable lead, the Seahawks are going to have to throw to play catchup and they haven’t been very good in the passing game, either. Matt Hasselbeck is No. 22 in the league in passing yards and has thrown just four touchdowns to six interceptions. He also has a 70.7 quarterback rating, ranking him No. 29 in the league. Hasselbeck’s top targets are tight end John Carlson and former USC standout/Detroit Lions-Oakland Raiders-Tennessee Titans bust, Mike Williams. If Briggs does not play, I think it’ll help the Seahawks keep the game close as they should be able to move the ball more effectively, but the edge rests with the Bears defense.

Advantage: Bears

Special Teams

This is one of the few weeks where I can say the Bears are not clearly better than their counterpart on special teams. In fact, Seattle appears to have the edge. It’s most prevalent in the return game where former Jets running back Leon Washington leads the NFL with an average of 40.4 yards per return. He’s returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. In punt returns, rookie wide receiver Golden Tate is No. 4 in the league — among those returners with at least 4 punt returns — with an average of 18 yards per punt return. The Bears’ coverage teams haven’t been all that great this season, as evident by the punt return touchdown they allowed against Dallas. I still believe Danieal Manning is the best kick returner in the league, though, and Hester is one of the best punt returners of all time, so the Bears keep this one close. Seattle kicker Olindo Mare has converted all four of his field goal attempts this year whereas Robbie Gould has made 10 of 11. Seattle punter Jon Ryan has a better net average than Brad Maynard. Maynard, of course, has the directional punting advantage as he is No. 2 in the league with 12 punts downed inside the 20. It’s my belief that the Seahawks have the slight edge overall in this department.

Advantage: Seahawks

Intangibles

The Bears continue to be one of the least heralded teams in the league despite their 4-1 record. Most of this has to do with them not passing the “eye test,” whatever that’s worth. Frankly, I’d rather root for a team that looks bad winning than one that looks good losing. In the NFL, there are no multiple-game series like in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. All it takes is one win over one opponent at a time and as long as the Bears’ defense continues to play like it is — and as long as Cutler doesn’t get knocked out of any more games — the Bears have as good a shot as any to win a championship in this parity-driven league. This week against the Seahawks, they get Cutler back and that will clearly help them run a more balanced offense, or at least give the illusion of that if they’re not able to run the ball. We’ll get a firsthand look at the Jeremy Bates-led Seahawks offense. Bates, of course, was Cutler’s preferred choice for Bears offensive coordinator because the two worked together in Denver, but Bates ultimately spurned the Bears and joined Pete Carroll in Seattle. The Seahawks just don’t appear to have enough pieces on offense for Bates to excel, though. Having a home game this week after two straight road games will be a breath of fresh air, and with or without Briggs in the lineup, I think the Bears take care of business and advance to 5-1.

Advantage: Bears

Final Score: Chicago 23, Seattle 17

http://www.bearsbeat.com/ 

Free Agency Priorities

Quarterback