"Oct 7, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) congratulates wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) after he scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. The Bears won 41-3. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports I think contain is a great choice of word regarding Marshall and Jeffrey.The Jets won’t be able to stop them completely. I think that it will be an extremely physical match-up with converted safety Antonio Allen and Dee Milliner, both over 6’0″, looking to get their hands on the Bear receivers & jam them.I also expect the Jets to play a lot of Big Nickel (3 safeties in the game with 1 replacing a linebacker) to be as flexible with their defense as possible. Also, I see more zone blitzes especially fire zones (a zone of 6 players dropping behind a 5 man blitz). Much like containing Jeffrey and Marshall, the Jets will get to Cutler, the question is how often that will determine who wins the game. The Bears, specifically Kyle Long, spoke out Tuesday about disappointment in the run game. Matt Forte is an excellent back. Do you think the Bears will focus on running the ball this week? Is that a good idea against one of the best run defenses in the league?"
Sep 7, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) rushes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Soldier Field. Buffalo Bills defeat the Chicago Bears 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
I think the Bears are going to focus on winning the game this week. They tried to run the ball against the 49ers, but they just wouldn’t have any of that. So the Bears ended up passing the ball more than running. It worked out to their advantage in the end, but not so much against Buffalo. I will say, when the Bears run the ball, there are less opportunities for turnovers, but the Bears are going to do whatever the matchup dictates. If the Jets are going to challenge Matt Forte by putting all their guys up into the box, then Cutler will throw it. What can you tell Bears fans about Geno Smith? Is he the future of the Jets or just a fill in for now?
"Geno Smith is the Jets future although he hasn’t done enough yet to where he could regress and still hold on to his job. He is light years beyond what he was last year. Smith’s accuracy, foot work and overall grasp of the offense has given him greater confidence and that is infectious. He is a duel threat that knows where the 1st down marker is and can do damage with his legs if you lose containment. This would not be a complicated question if the game-tying touchdown he threw was not erased due to Timeout-Gate. Smith led a team that had lost all of the momentum and led them down the field to tie the game (on a 4th and 4 no less). He did this on the road at Lambeau Field to boot. Smith needs to cut down on turnovers, especially at key junctures in the game, to get to the next level. How do you think the Bears are going to defend the Jets? Are the injuries suffered on that side of the ball serious?"
Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is sacked by Chicago Bears defense end Willie Young (97) in the fourth quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
I expect the Bears will have the same game plan they had for Kaepernick. The Bears did a great job containing him and weren’t fooled as much by the option as they were in week 1. The Bears secondary has been playing much better and now with Charles Tillman out for the year, it’s now time for the rookie Kyle Fuller to step up and show why he was a first round pick. He already did that last week against the 49ers with his two interceptions, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. I think he will be able to keep performing at that level. But the key is going to be the front seven for the Bears. The defensive line needs to keep getting pressure on the quarterback and the linebackers need to stick with their gap control and not be fooled by play action or option runs. The only serious blow to the defense so far has been losing cornerback Charles Tillman. He was a leader on the defense, but this is the NFL and it’s next man up time. Luckily the Bears have someone to step in. A lot of the time when you lose a starter, you don’t have any quality players behind them to perform at the same level that the starters were. What do you think is going to happen to Rex Ryan after this season if the Jets don’t make the playoffs?
"The fate of Rex Ryan is tied to the development of the 1st and 2nd year players the Jets acquired via General Manager John Idzik’s 1st 2 drafts. Most obviously that’s Geno Smith first and foremost but 2013’s class spawned 5 starters including CB Dee Milliner, DL Sheldon Richardson, Smith, LG Brian Winters and FB Tommy Bohanon. The 4th round pick was traded for RB Chris Ivory. Those players started to come together as the year went along. The 2014 class is headlined by S Calvin Pryor and TE Jace Amaro. Add in free agent signings of Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and Jason Babin and you can see how much John Idzik turned over the roster. If owner Woody Johnson and General Manager John Idzik believe that those group of players are developing and another year with the same coaches will help them do something special in 2015 then Rex will be back no matter what. If not, they’ll move on. I believe the point is moot and the Jets will be a playoff team. The front 7 and the development of Geno Smith are the main reasons why. Rex Ryan’s coaching job last year was brilliant as he took a team that very easily could have taken their lumps and won 4-5 games and got them to 8-8 and eliminating the Dolphins from playoff contention on their home field. What is your prediction for Monday night? Who wins and what is the score? Use your ← → (arrows) to browse ← →"