LINK Something has to give: Chicago Bears pass rush vs. Bengals tackles The Bengals have a clear team weakness at the tackle position. Can the Chicago Bears expose it?
The Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals will meet in a game on Sunday that is somewhat meaningless. The Bengals just went all-in to beat the division rival Steelers and came up short, all but ending their postseason dreams. The Bears, well, we know.
However, when breaking down the matchups in this game, and looking for something to look forward to, the matchup between the Bears pass rushers, and the Bengals tackles stick out. It may end up being one of those situations where it feels like staring at the sun too long, but something has to give in this game.
On the Bengals side, their tackle situation is suspect to say the least. Their tackles have allowed 15 sacks so far this season. Seven have been due to left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, who has a plethora of issues to work on.
On the other side, the Chicago Bears pass rushing situation is questionable, to say the least. Leonard Floyd and Willie Young are on the injured reserve. Pernell McPhee has yet to practice this week. This could leave the Bears rushing Sam Acho, Lamarr Houston, and Howard Jones on Sunday.
Acho is the leader of that group and has a whopping half of a sack this season. Lamarr Houston, who was cut in the offseason, and brought back to play in one game so far will lead those three in sacks this season with two, one coming last week in his Bears debut. Then, there is Jones who has brought up from the practice squad, played for snaps, was sent down and was brought up again.
LINK Bears vs. Bengals: Can Bears take advantage of beat-up Bengals?
(This is best read on the original site)
We have so many reserves (and guys who wont be here) on the field right now that im not sure if it really matters... Would like to see some quality play from Trub, Howard, Cohen, Whitehair, Shaheen, Goldman...
Well sir, they're an underdog on the road this week instead of favored at home so there's at least a 50/50 chance of winning and a 50/50 chance of being destroyed. Both teams are missing so many starters it's gonna be like preseason.
Well, with Goldman presumably out and Unrein out for the season, who is gonna play our front three? Hicks, Bullard and? Also, with Violent presumably out we are razor thin at OLB, Acho and Houston may be starting!
Bears run 42 plays on OFF to the Bengals 81, TOP +15 minutes to Bengals. Loggains calls 21 passes to 21 runs (which ironically has a few posters claiming he's not predictable, never mind that 13 passes came in the last 1/2 of the the 4th quarter while the Bears are trying to catch up from a 17 point deficit.) Bengals score a field goal on their opening drive and Loggains scripted plays work again for a 1st quarter TD (Mitch to Inman on a 23 yard hookup) and the first quarter ends with the Bears down 7-10. Green and Dalton hook up on two second quarter TDs (one where inexplicably Cooper in for a winded Fuller passes off Green to....no one, and Green scores a 76 yard TD.) Howard scores on the opening drive of the third quarter to get the score to 24-14 but Gio Benard scores on a long run midway through the 3rd to take the score to 31-14. Bellamy drops a wide open bomb at the start of the 4th quarter (Wheaton is rumored to have burst out laughing on the bench and gets cut Monday morning) and thats it for the Bears OFF.
After the game Fox again explains that the Bears had a good week of practice and had this to say about Bellamy when asked:
He works hard, and goes good things for us. You've got to prove yourself every time you go out there. It was a play we felt had a chance to work. We'll evaluate everything like we always do. I’m sure our coaches will start on that process and time will tell. Its a pretty subdued group right now because they know we are close and we are looking forward to next week.
LINK Bengals to be without 6 starters vs. Bears The Cincinnati Bengals will be without six starters Sunday against the Chicago Bears, and another four players are listed as questionable.
Linebacker Vontaze Burfict, running back Joe Mixon and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick will sit out after suffering concussions in Monday night’s 23-20 loss to the Steelers, while cornerback Adam Jones (groin), linebacker Nick Vigil (ankle) and safety Shawn Williams (hamstring) will be inactive as well.
Defensive tackle Geno Atkins (toe), cornerback Darqueze Dennard (knee), linebacker Vinny Rey (hamstring) and safety Brandon Wilson (ankle) are listed as questionable.
“We’ll be
Amazing how well the Bears play, and how well the bears coaches coach when the shoe is on the other foot for the other team huh? Olin/Big Cat are talking about it now, when both teams are missing their talent and both teams on equal footing the Bears and their coaches looked pretty good.
Amazing how well the Bears play, and how well the bears coaches coach when the shoe is on the other foot for the other team huh? Olin/Big Cat are talking about it now, when both teams are missing their talent and both teams on equal footing the Bears and their coaches looked pretty good.
+1 That is an excellent point. This was against a crippled Cincinnati Bungles team. In week-14 of the season. We act like we won the Super Bowl against the Patriots. LOL. We are a 4-win team now. Hurray for us :-(