QB Caleb Hanie (exclusive rights)- tendered

QB Todd Collins

RB Garrett Wolfe

RB Kahlil Bell (exclusive rights)- tendered

WR Devin Aromashadu

WR Rashied Davis

TE Desmond Clark

OT Kevin Shaffer

C Olin Kruetz

DT Anthony Adams

DT Tommie Harris

OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa

OLB Nick Roach

OLB Brian Iwuh

MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer

CB Corey Graham

S Danieal Manning

S Josh Bullocks

P Brad Maynard 

Offseason moves:

Tendered Khalil Bell

Tendered Caleb Hanie

Cut Tommie Harris

Cut Hunter Hillenmeyer

Cut Kevin Shaffer

Draft

By Ryan Glab

Bears offense vs. Lions defense

We’ve come to expect Mike Martz to call a balanced game plan while mixing in a healthy dose of run plays versus pass plays, at least since the bye week. But last week’s victory over the Eagles allowed us to catch a glimpse of just how dangerous Jay Cutler and the passing game can be while not compromising the balance. Cutler completed just 14 passes against Philadelphia, but he made them count for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Matt Forte was still able to find room to run as his 14 rushing attempts went for 117 yards. It’s no wonder the Bears dominated the Eagles all game long. If they can get this kind of production from both the run and the pass, they’re going to be a tough team to beat the remainder of the season. This week against the Lions, the Bears face a defense that is strong up front but weak in the secondary. It’s possible we see Forte and Chester Taylor spinning their tires at the line of scrimmage and getting nowhere, but that commitment to the run could open up plays down the field. The last time the Bears faced the Lions, Forte was a bigger factor in the passing game than on the ground. Forte caught seven passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns while gaining just 50 yards on 17 carries. The biggest threat the Bears offense will face is defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the rookie who is 11th in the league in sacks and leads all players at his position with eight. He’s a one-man wrecking crew who will need constant double teams to be neutralized. The Bears could be fortunate that they don’t have to face defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who was listed as doubtful on the injury report. Vanden Bosch came to the Lions as a free agent this offseason and had four sacks and two forced fumbles this season before being hampered by a neck injury. Suh will be joined up front by tackle Corey Williams and ends Cliff Avril and Turk McBride. Avril and McBride have combined for six sacks and three forced fumbles and form a formidable duo even without Vanden Bosch in the lineup. Williams is a giant run stuffer who, at 6-4 and 320 pounds, will clog the middle with Suh. On the second level of the defense, the Lions feature a linebacking trio of Julian Peterson, DeAndre Levy, and Landon Johnson. Ashlee Palmer is also in the rotation and is third on the team in tackles. In the secondary, the Bears biggest test will be second-year free safety Louis Delmas. Delmas leads the team in tackles, has two sacks and two forced fumbles. The rest of the secondary is very suspect and can be exploited. The duo of Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett can have a big game on Sunday.

Advantage: Bears

Bears defense vs. Lions offense

The Bears will face third-string quarterback Drew Stanton on Sunday, the second time they’ll have faced a third-string quarterback in three weeks. Some skeptics want to call the Bears lucky and that’s fine. Every Super Bowl champion has been the beneficiary of some lucky breaks. I’m not ready to proclaim the Bears a Super Bowl contender, but winning a championship is the ultimate goal and if the Bears are receiving some help along the way, so be it. Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best has been battling turf toe and hasn’t been able to see the field much the past few weeks. Maurice Morris is expected to start for the third straight week and he’s hardly a running back that strikes fear in opposing defenses. The Bears’ No. 2 run defense should shut him down and force Stanton to throw the ball. That’s when the Bears’ ball-hawking defense should take over and create some turnovers. After a slow beginning of the season, at least according to sacks, Julius Peppers has really stepped up and increased the pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He’s got four sacks in the last two weeks and six on the season. Israel Idonije has benefited playing opposite Peppers and he leads the team with seven sacks. I expect the duo to sack Stanton a couple times on Sunday. Tackles Anthony Adams and Matt Toeaina have quietly done a good job of plugging the middle this season and Tommie Harris has made a few plays as the third tackle rotating in. The strength of the unit, of course, is the linebackers where Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher have been playing stout all season long. Pisa Tinoisamoa has been battling knee soreness on the same knee that he injured last year and he has been ruled out of Sunday’s game. Nick Roach should step in and fill his role just fine. I think the Bears’ secondary can have a big game this week. Calvin Johnson is one of the best receivers in the game so he’s likely to get his share of catches and yards, but it’s important to remember that it won’t be Matthew Stafford or Shaun Hill throwing him the football. Wide receiver Nate Burleson guaranteed a victory over the Bears this week, so you can bet he’ll receive some extra physical attention from Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings. Burleson guaranteed a victory over the Cardinals when he was a member of the Seahawks last year and his team got trounced. If I were him, I’d keep my mouth shut, because there are a couple of hard-hitting safeties in Chris Harris and Danieal Manning just waiting to get their shots in over the middle of the field.

Advantage: Bears

Special Teams

Wide receiver Stefan Logan has been a good kick and punt returner for the Lions this season. His 28.1 kickoff return average ranks third in the NFL among those players who have returned at least 10 kickoffs. He also has a punt return average of 12.1. He’s dangerous, but he’s no Devin Hester. Lions kicker Jason Hanson has been placed on injured reserve and he’ll be replaced by Dave Rayner. Rayner has been on six different teams in six years, which tells you all you need to know about his accuracy. I like Robbie Gould in that matchup. Lions punter Nick Harris, however, has been as steady as they come. Interestingly, Harris ranks No. 8 in punting average with 45.0 yards per punt. But his net average is just 35.9, ranking him No. 28 in the league. What that means is that Harris has had more punts returned for more yardage than any other punter in the league. Could this finally be the week Hester breaks the return touchdown record? The Bears have a better kicker, kick and punt returner, and coverage teams. Big edge for the Bears.

Advantage: Bears

Intangibles

With every new season comes fresh hope and optimism, which is why I believe the first game of the season was close. At this point in the season, the Lions have very little to play for aside from backing up Burleson’s guarantee, and trying to avenge their opening week loss on a Calvin Johnson catch in the end zone that was overturned in the final minute of the game. It would take a collapse of epic proportions for the Bears to lose this game, and I don’t see that in the cards. The Lions are starting a third-string quarterback against the Bears’ No. 4-ranked defense. Detroit is also missing a key piece to their defense in Vanden Bosch and their explosive roookie running back has been hobbled by turf toe. They’ve got some playmakers on both sides of the ball but they’re not talented enough to overcome deficiencies in the secondary and on the offensive line. I expect the Lions to come out of the gates with gusto and try to put the Bears on their heels quickly. But one big punch in the mouth can send this team backpedaling and looking for cover.

Advantage: Bears

Final Score: Chicago 27, Detroit 14

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By Ryan Glab 

A look at four keys for the Bears to beat this week’s opponent.

1. Utilize the short-passing game

The Bears announced Wednesday that Jay Cutler has been cleared to play and will start on Sunday against the Seahawks barring any unforeseen setbacks. After a quarterback has gotten a concussion, each subsequent hit can cause greater damage and you want to limit the amount of punishment he’ll receive. As such, the Bears need to do their best job of getting the ball out of Cutler’s hands as quickly as possible. We know the Bears have had a revolving door on the offensive line and Chris Williams has returned to practice and was moved to the left guard position this week. The Bears can’t fully count on the line to be much better so Mike Martz needs to look to get the ball out of Cutler’s hands quickly. The Seahawks have the No. 2 run defense in the league so the 247 net rushing yards we saw last week against Carolina isn’t likely to happen again. The Seahawks do have the second-worst pass defense so the Bears should have their chances to put up big numbers in that area.

2. Shut down the run

Seattle is fourth-worst in the run game, which is a primary reason why they traded for Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch last week. Lynch should help upgrade those numbers, but he’s not going to solve the problems the Seahawks have in running the football. Continuing with the trend they’ve displayed in all but the Giants game, the Bears should be able to shut down the Seahawks run and force them to take to the air. Veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has thrown just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 70.7, fifth-worst in the league. The Bears should take their chances with him and stack the box to stop the run and to make the Seahawks throw the ball.

3. Continue getting takeaways

The Bears are ninth in the league with a plus-two turnover ratio as the Lovie Smith defense is winning games using the old formula of getting takeaways. They’re the No. 5-ranked defense with seven interceptions, have forced seven fumbles, and lead the league with seven fumble recoveries. The key number is three. If the Bears can get three takeaways — which is the weekly goal Smith sets for his team — then the Bears’ percentage for winning games increases by leaps and bounds. Of course, the flipside of that equation is that the offense needs to protect the football and not give away the ball.

4. Maintain good field position with special teams

While the offense continues to find its identity, it’s the defense and special teams that have helped them win the majority of their games this season. If not for a stellar defensive effort and the the excellence of Danieal Manning and Devin Hester in the return game, who knows how many games the Bears would have won this year. Manning, in my opinion, is hands-down the best kick returner in the league — although the Bears will face the statistically No. 1 kick returner in Seattle’s Leon Washington this week. It’s up to the Bears’ kick coverage to make sure Washington doesn’t break any — he already has two touchdowns — and it’s up to the Bears’ return team to ensure Manning has the kind of holes he had last week against Carolina when he averaged better than 40 yards per return in his three tries. Meanwhile, Hester still puts the fear in opposing coaches. He had that one punt return touchdown against the Packers and several more long returns that he just couldn’t break for a score, and opposing punters are now kicking the ball straight out of bounds again, giving the Bears’ offense good field position.

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By Ryan Glab

A look at four keys for the Bears to beat this week’s opponent.

1. Get rid of the ball quickly

The Jets have one of the most innovative defenses today that has served them well. Despite an awful quarterback, they are winning games with the No. 5 defense and No. 6 run game. They run a version of the “amoeba” defense, which is when no defender — or less than the normal three or four — puts his hand on the ground before the snap. The idea behind the scheme is that the offense won’t know where the defense is coming from and the offensive line won’t know which defender to block. It’s been referred to as “controlled chaos” because it looks like the defense is confused or is playing sandlot ball. It can be a very dangerous defense, though, especially for an offensive line that has had struggles all season. The Bears need to utilize a quick-passing attack to prevent the Jets from sending the house all game. For that to work, though, the receivers need to be on the same page as Jay Cutler.

2. Confuse Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez is a bad quarterback. Period. Terry Bradshaw included him, and not Jay Cutler, on his “Top 10 Quarterbacks Under the Age of 30” list that he unveiled on FOX NFL Sunday a few weeks ago. It makes you wonder if Bradshaw took too many hits to the head as a quarterback himself. Sanchez is the No. 1 reason why the Jets won’t win the Super Bowl — now, or in any year in the foreseeable future. He’s ranked No. 28 in passer rating with a mark of 74.6. He’s got a completion percentage of just 54.0, which ranks him No. 30. He has thrown just 16 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions. On top of everything else, Sanchez is battling a sore shoulder that he injured last week against Pittsburgh. The best way for the Bears to defeat the Jets is to knock around Sanchez, confuse him by sending pressure from different areas and take away the football.

3. Jump out to an early lead to neutralize the run

Continuing from the previous key, the Bears would prefer to let Sanchez throw the football and take the ball out of the hands of running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, who anchor the sixth-best rushing offense in the league. In order to do that, the Bears need force the Jets to play from behind and also stifle the run game early. Scoring won’t be easy, though. The Jets have the No. 5 scoring defense and are allowing just 18.5 points per game. This could be a game in which the defense scores and that would certainly go a long way towards putting the ball in Sanchez’s hands.

4. Win the turnover margin

The Bears defense failed to record a takeaway against either the Lions or the Patriots before picking up five against the Vikings last week. There’s a reason Lovie Smith preaches takeaways and that’s because turnovers usually tell the tale of which team will win the game. The Jets are ranked No. 8 in the league with a plus-5 turnover ratio, so the Bears need to protect the football on offense to prevent placing any further burden on the defense to record takeaways. The Jets are hardly offensive juggernauts — they rank just one spot ahead of the Bears’ offense, averaging 21.1 points per game — so it’s not as if turning over the ball will automatically lead to points for New York. But it is one less possession the offense will have at scoring on a good Jets defense.

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By Ryan Glab 

A look at four keys for the Bears to beat this week’s opponent.

1. Force Michael Vick to his right

The New York Giants had the right game plan to contain Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, but could not execute it as needed. Perhaps the Bears, who have great team speed and run a defense geared toward containment, can have better luck. Vick is a left-handed quarterback and such players are more comfortable throwing while moving to their left. If Vick has to go to the right, he’ll have to throw across his body, which is bad for two reasons. First, it takes longer to torque the upper body which will allow the defense to better anticipate a pass and jump routes quicker. Second, you lose technique, accuracy, and strength by throwing across your body. The athleticism of Julius Peppers, who generally lines up on the right side of the defensive line (the left side of the offense), will allow him to keep containment and prevent Vick from getting outside of him. Peppers has huge size, which will make it more difficult for Vick to throw over the top of him. 

2. Don’t get beat deep by DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin

The Eagles have great team speed in addition to just Vick. Wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are explosive playmakers that can stretch the field and burn defenses deep. Their speed can make them dangerous after the catch and even by allowing them to catch passes in front of the secondary, there’s no guarantee they won’t score. What makes the receivers most dangerous is Vick’s ability to scramble, throw on the run and make plays with his legs. If Vick rolls out and appears to be tucking the ball away, he can trick the defense into thinking he’s going to run with the ball and then pull up to throw deep. It’s imperative the secondary doesn’t break coverage until Vick crosses the line of scrimmage, taking the pass option away.

3. Take shots downfield, but maintain balance on offense

The Eagles’ pass defense has given up seven plays of 40-plus yards — seventh-most in the league — and have allowed 18 passing touchdowns — ninth-most in the league. Their defense can be susceptible to the pass, yet they’re also a dangerous and opportunistic defense, leading the league with 19 interceptions. The Bears will have the opportunity to take their chances passing the ball down the field, but Jay Cutler has to be careful with the ball and not force anything. If the Bears continue the same formula they’ve used in the past three games by staying committed to the run, they’ll be able to run play-action more effectively and could catch some breaks in the passing game.

4. Keep the defense fresh and win the time of possession

Time of possession is going to be an important statistic in this game. Obviously, the longer you have the ball, the more chances you have at scoring. But the time of possession is particularly important in this game in order to keep the defense fresh and resting on the sideline. Due to the team speed the Eagles boast, the defense could get worn down quickly if they’re on the field for extended periods of time. Another reason for the Bears to hold onto the ball as long as possible is that the Eagles have the second-highest scoring offense in the league, averaging 28.4 points per game. The Bears, by contrast, are ranked No. 25 with just 19.1 points per game. They can’t get into a shootout.

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By Ryan Glab 

Bears offense vs. Eagles defense

Since the bye week, the Bears have called 108 run plays out of 204 plays from scrimmage. That’s a 52-48 run-to-pass ratio. The offense can’t get much more balanced than that and major credit needs to go to Lovie Smith and Mike Martz for organizing such a successful game plan in the Bears’ last three victories. The players are not without their due, either. It’s one thing to call a smart play but it’s another to be able to execute it. The truth is that the offensive line, while far from great, has been playing much better the past three weeks. While the duo of Matt Forte and Chester Taylor is averaging an anemic 2.9 yards per carry, the more important statistic is that the line has allowed just six sacks in those three games, which is three less than they allowed in the first half of the Giants game alone. If the Bears are going to make a playoff push, they need Jay Cutler to be healthy and Martz and the offensive line are doing a good job of that since the bye week. This week the Bears will face an Eagles team that is ninth in the league with 26 sacks, so protection is vital. The Eagles also lead the league with 19 interceptions, four more than the Bears’ opportunistic defense has recorded. They’ve forced eight fumbles and have recovered seven of them. The Eagles defense has also scored two touchdowns off turnovers. One of the things Philadelphia does not do well is keep opponents off the scoreboard. They are ranked 19th with 22.6 points per game allowed, which is one of the reasons why their offense needs to put up so many points. The Bears offense, however, does not score many points as they rank 25th with just 19.1 points per game scored. The biggest challenge the Bears face is protecting Cutler against Trent Cole, the Eagles defensive end who leads the team with seven sacks. They’ve got a talented linebacking corps in middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, and outside linebackers Ernie Sims and Moise Fokou. I’m probably most impressed with their safeties, though. Strong safety Quintin Mikell leads the team with 57 tackles and has a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception. Rookie free safety Nate Allen — whom I wanted the Bears to trade up to get in this year’s draft — is fourth on the team in tackles and has a sack and three interceptions. The Bears got a big break — they’ve been getting a lot of those this year — when it was reported that Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel, who is a ballhawk with seven interceptions on the year and 42 throughout his eight-year career, will not play because of a knee injury.

Advantage: Eagles

Bears defense vs. Eagles offense

It doesn’t matter who has been on the field opposite the Bears, the defense has locked down opponents this year. The Bears have the No. 3 defense in the league and the No. 1 scoring defense. Would you like to see more sacks? Absolutely. The Bears are only 23rd in that department with just 19 on the season — less than two per game on average. But you can’t argue with success. You can try, but it would be a futile fight. With an offense that doesn’t score much and a quarterback that still has turnover issues, the defense is the main cog responsible for the 7-3 record up to this point. The defense leads the league with an astounding six touchdown passes allowed. The pass defense is ranked 13th in the league, which is impressive for a Lovie Smith defense which is known for allowing lots of yards but few points. The run defense is second in the league and is allowing just 3.5 yards per carry, third-best in the league. The Cover 2 defense is frustrating to watch, absolutely. It’s discouraging to watch opponents methodically move down the field with small chunks of yards. But it’s also working now that Smith has the horses he needs in place. They have a pass rush that is getting to the quarterback, even if it’s not causing high sack totals. They have a trio of linebackers among the best in the business, perhaps the best of any 4-3 defense in the league. Charles Tillman gives up passing plays here and there but is still the most valuable turnover maker in the league — from a forced fumble perspective; not so much from interceptions. And most impressive of all is the play of the safeties. It was a big concern heading into the season but Danieal Manning appears to have finally found a home at strong safety and is playing really well. Chris Harris makes his fair share of mistakes but is a force as a blitzer and is strong in run support. It’s a good thing the defense is working as it should because the Bears will need it to do just that this week against Michael Vick and the explosive Eagles offense. The Eagles have the second-highest scoring offense in the league and it’ll be interesting to see what they can do against the Bears’ league-best scoring defense. Once upon a time before he went to prison, Vick was an average passer who could do damage with his legs. Now he seems to have improved his accuracy and has once again become one of the most dangerous players in the league. It’ll be incumbent on the defense to keep him contained in the pocket. Once he leaves the pocket, he can make plays while on the move, either throwing downfield to his speedy receivers, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, or tucking away the ball and picking up yards with his legs. If Vick does leave the pocket, it’s important that he is funneled to his right. Being a left-handed quarterback, it’s more difficult for him to throw when he’s moving to his right and he more often than not will not throw it. The key to the defensive effort will be to avoid mental mistakes and the secondary needs to wait until Vick crosses the line of scrimmage before breaking coverage, otherwise they could get beat deep. Because the Bears have such great speed at linebacker, and an athletic freak in Julius Peppers who can keep containment and not let Vick get outside of him, they have the edge in this matchup.

Advantage: Bears

Special Teams

This game figures to be a close battle and in tight games there is perhaps no more important phase than the special teams. Field position will be a critical component to the outcome of the game and the Bears are well equipped to win this battle. Devin Hester did not get an opportunity to return a kickoff last week because Miami was held scoreless. Their one kickoff attempt last week — to open the second half — was kicked away from Hester and fielded by Rashied Davis, who took it out to the 30-yard-line. If the Eagles want to kick away from Hester — which they’ll probably do with a smart coach like Andy Reid — that’s fine, because the Bears will end up with good field position. If they do make the mistake of kicking to Hester, on either kickoffs or punts, they’re in for a world of hurt. The Eagles have not had great success returning kicks this year. Their top kick returner, Ellis Hobbs, is out for the season with a neck injury, but he only averaged 21.6 yards per return, which is near the bottom of the league. His replacement, Jorrick Calvin, averages slightly better at 22.1 yards per return. Calvin and the speedy Jackson have split punt return duties this year but neither one has made a huge impact. Calvin averages 10.5 yards per return and Jackson just 7.9. Jackson is a home run threat, though, and needs to be taken seriously. After a small slump in which he missed three field goals in a row, Robbie Gould appears to be working out of it after making all three kicks last week against Miami. The Bears are going to need his reliability this week if the game is a close one. Long-time veteran David Akers is a solid pro for the Eagles and he’s converted on 20 of 25 field goals this year. He’s definitely lost some distance over the years. Eagles punter Sav Rocca is eighth in the league with a 45.4 yards per punt average. Brad Maynard is way at the bottom of the list with a 39.0 average. The Bears will need his directional punting to help pin the Eagles offense deep in its own territory.

Advantage: Bears

Intangibles

And so this is the test that so many skeptical Bears fans have been waiting to see for 10 weeks. Even when the Bears beat the Packers, arguably the best team in the conference, in Week 3 at Soldier Field, there were doubters because of how many penalties the Packers racked up. The Bears will now face a legitimate offense that averages 28.4 points per game, second-most in the league. They now face an offense ranked eighth with 248.6 yards per game. And they now face an offense with the highest-rated quarterback in the NFL in Michael Vick (108.7). If the Bears get the job done, I don’t want to hear any more excuses. If they contain that explosive offense and are able to put up more points than Philadelphia’s high octane unit, then they’ll be considered one of, if not the best team in the NFC. All of that is easier said than done, though. The Bears don’t have to be great to win this game; they just have to be mistake-free, or at least make fewer mistakes than the Eagles do. The Bears have the team speed to match up with the Eagles. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Pisa Tinoisamoa — who had full participation in practice Thursday and is expected to start — can play sideline to sideline and contain Vick. Peppers can chase Vick faster than any defensive end has this season. So the real test is whether the Bears’ secondary can play disciplined football and not give up the big play. Vick has not thrown an interception this season in 191 pass attempts, which explains why his quarterback rating is so high. Something tells me that’s going to change this week, or he at least might fumble the ball. The Bears coaching staff, while not perfect, has been the best one under the Lovie Smith watch and is ready for a game like this. The playing surface at Soldier Field is bad, and that usually affects the road team more than the home team because the Bears are more used to playing on it. That may just slow down the Eagles offense enough for the Bears to take advantage. Are the Bears better than the Eagles? We don’t know for sure, but these are the types of big games that Lovie’s gang usually wins.

Advantage: Bears

Final Score: Chicago 24, Philadelphia 21

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OLB Zach Brown (North Carolina)

OLB Darius Fleming (Notre Dame)

DE Tim Fugger (Vanderbilt)

S Brandon Hardin (Oregon State)

MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama)

DE Melvin Ingram (South Carolina)

OLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

WR Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)

S Matt Johnson (Eastern Washington)

S Trumaine Johnson (Montana)

DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)

OT Dennis Kelly (Purdue)

G Ronald Leary (Memphis)

DE Whitney Mercilus (Illinois)

WR Rueben Randle (LSU)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

OT Donald Stephenson (Oklahoma)

CB Keith Tandy (West Virginia)

WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)

By Ryan Glab 

Bears offense vs. Dolphins defense

The Bears have struggled to move the ball this season, convert on third downs, and put together a complete offensive game. Until last week against Minnesota, that is. They finished with 360 total yards of offense, scored 27 points, and converted 11 third down attempts. They’ll get a stiff challenge this week against the No. 8 defense in the league in Miami. Linebacker Cameron Wake, who has been battling a hip injury, was not listed on Wednesday’s injury report and will play in this game. Wake leads the team with 8.5 sacks, ranking him third in the league in that category. The Bears will have to pay extra attention to him and keep in an additional blocker if needed. The offensive line has done a much better job protecting Jay Cutler the past two weeks after their bye week. Part of that has to do with the change in play calling by Mike Martz. The Bears have made a commitment to the run game in the last two games against Buffalo and Minnesota and that will likely continue. I genuinely believe Martz understands the need to scale back his offense and mix in more runs for multiple reasons. First, it doesn’t do him any good if Cutler is on his back. Second, Matt Forte and Chester Taylor are two of the more reliable offensive weapons and need to get involved in the game plan. The Dolphins are No. 6 against the pass but only 16th against the run, so there may be room to operate. If the Dolphins’ offense struggles, which is more than possible, the defense might be left on the field too long and the Bears might find some running room late in the game. Miami has a pair of active safeties in Yeremiah Bell and Chris Clemons, who rank second and third, respectively, in tackles on the team. The defense is not a ball-hawking unit, though. They have just six interceptions on the season, ranking them 26th in the league. But what the Dolphins do best is keep the score low and close. They’re allowing 21.3 points per game, 13th-best in the league. The Bears’ offense is 23rd in points scored.

Advantage: Dolphins

Bears defense vs. Dolphins offense

The Bears have the No. 4 defense according to yards allowed and the No. 2 scoring defense. They’re allowing just 301.9 yards and 16.2 points per game. Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, and Julius Peppers are all playing at a high level. Charles Tillman is still punching the ball loose as well as he ever has and Israel Idonije has stepped up and contributed well as the starter opposite Peppers. The Bears will be without linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, and despite how well he was playing, Nick Roach should step in and do just fine. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the season is the play of the safeties, Danieal Manning and Chris Harris, the starters for the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Manning is fourth on the team in tackles with 48. Harris is not too far behind him with 37 and also has two interceptions. He’s been most effective in blitzes and has a good chance to make a play this week against a weakened Dolphins offense. That’s because Miami will be starting its third-string quarterback, Tyler Thigpen. Chad Pennington and Chad Henne both suffered injuries last week against Tennessee and Thigpen had to finish the game. As part of their game plan, the Dolphins will likely institute some of the Wildcat formation, where running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will take snaps from the shotgun formation. There shouldn’t be too much to worry about from that formation. Neither player can throw the ball particularly well and the Bears have great team speed to string out the play. The Dolphins are minus-5 in turnover ratio, which could hurt them in this matchup because of how good the Bears are at taking away the ball. The Bears are second in the league in interceptions and third in fumble recoveries.

Advantage: Bears 

Special Teams

Last week’s special teams effort was about as dominant as we’ve seen the unit perform in a few years. The Bears had the No. 1 special teams during their Super Bowl run, back when Devin Hester was “ridiculous” while setting kick return records. By no coincidence whatsoever, Hester was back returning kickoffs against Minnesota and he gave the Bears great field position all game. Hester had kick returns of 32 and 68 yards and a punt return of 42 yards. If not for a missed field goal by Robbie Gould, the Bears would have had a nearly flawless game on special teams last week. Miami kicker Dan Carpenter leads the NFL with 22 field goals made. He’s converted on 88% of his kicks with a long of 54 yards. Brad Maynard has not had a good season but neither has Miami punter Brandon Fields. Fields has a net average of just 36.5 yards, only slightly better than Maynard’s 34.6. Fields is good at placing his kicks, though, as he’s dropped 16 inside the 20, just one behind Maynard’s 17. Miami’s kick returner, Nolan Carroll, has a return average of just 23.9 yards per return. Punt returner Davone Bess has good speed and quickness but is averaging just 10.8 yards per return. Hester is clearly a better returner than both.

Advantage: Bears

Intangibles

The Bears return to South Beach for the first time since Super Bowl XLI. Hester returns to play in front of his friends and family and I have a strong feeling he’ll put on a show, unless the Dolphins completely kick away from him. Short weeks generally favor the home team because they get to schedule one extra practice while the road team has to travel, but the Bears worked in one last quick practice yesterday before boarding the plane for Miami. I’m not so sure the Dolphins will have any extra advantage aside from the normal home field advantage. The warm Florida climate will make weather a non-factor. The real issues to be determined in this game are the injuries to the Dolphins’ offense. Will Thigpen be able to engineer their offense against one of the best defenses in the league? How will Long’s dislocated shoulder hold up against the fierce pass rush of Peppers? Will the Dolphins’ offense be able to protect the football? Those are the factors that will likely decide the outcome of this game. Last week, I felt that the Vikings would win the game due to the desperation of their situation. It seemed like they would come out swinging with their best effort while their backs were up to the wall and their season was in a dire state. The Bears had no sympathy and summarily dismissed them. The Dolphins find themselves in a similar situation. Two games behind co-division leaders, the Jets and Patriots, and tied with three other AFC teams for a wild card spot, Miami needs this game badly. That alone ought to keep this game close, but I think the Bears pull out the victory.

Advantage: Bears

Final Score: Chicago 20, Miami 17

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