Chicago Bears: Week 9 keys to the game @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One game is a win; two is a streak. Can the Chicago Bears start a winning streak in Tampa Bay?  It starts with our Keys to the Game.

Funny how only the second win for the Chicago Bears has granted new life for the entire season. However, defeating the Minnesota Vikings at home in a week 8 tilt has granted exactly that, a second life. Now comes the difficult part, translating that momentum into wins. First up will be a matchup against an interesting Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. They have a number of strong pieces, but those pieces haven’t come together as a team. As a result, Tampa Bay stands at 3-5 in a much tougher division than the NFC North this season. However, both teams still maintain Wild Card aspirations. Here are 3 keys to keep the Bears in the win column.

First up will be a matchup against an interesting Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. They have a number of strong pieces, but those pieces haven’t come together as a team. As a result, Tampa Bay stands at 3-5 in a much tougher division than the NFC North this season. However, both teams still maintain Wild Card aspirations. Here are 3 keys to keep the Bears in the win column.

Last week’s keys:

A return to form Jay Cutler dealt with some rust in the first quarter, but he rebounded to lead an efficient offense. Most importantly, the deep ball once again became a viable tool in Chicago’s offense. I said that Cutler would need at least 3 throws of 20 yards or more to earn this key. He decided to one-up me and throw 4 passes of 20+ yards (21,24,34,34). He also kept the ball protected all evening which proved crucial in a tight game. No turnovers from Jay usually equals a win for the Bears. Cutler also connected with Jeffery for a touchdown to signal yet another encouraging development for the Bears. Cutler earned this key without question.

Jay Cutler dealt with some rust in the first quarter, but he rebounded to lead an efficient offense. Most importantly, the deep ball once again became a viable tool in Chicago’s offense. I said that Cutler would need at least 3 throws of 20 yards or more to earn this key. He decided to one-up me and throw 4 passes of 20+ yards (21,24,34,34). He also kept the ball protected all evening which proved crucial in a tight game. No turnovers from Jay usually equals a win for the Bears. Cutler also connected with Jeffery for a touchdown to signal yet another encouraging development for the Bears. Cutler earned this key without question.

Bury Sam at Soldier Field

Anyone who watched the game saw Sam Bradford get planted snap after snap. I said the Bears needed 4 sacks and a strip sack. Chicago logged 5 sacks, and Pernell McPhee recorded a strip sack that stayed in the Vikings’ possession. It doesn’t take much analysis to hand the Bears this key.

A special teams breakthrough

There was no breakthrough to speak of, but the special teams put in a solid performance. Connor Barth connected on both of his short field goals, Patrick O’Donnell pinned the Vikings inside their own 20 on 3 separate occasions, and Sherrick McManis had great coverage on punts. Unfortunately, the return game did little to assist the Bears, especially in regards to punt returns. While it might be unfair to go after Cre’von LeBlanc in his first start as a returner, he often let balls sail by instead of calling for the fair catch. The specials teams were between average and good, just not good enough for this key.

Week 8 keys: 2/3