Going into the NFC Wild Card against the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, there doesn't seem to be a lot of hope in the home team getting the win, but some think the Windy City might witness a full-blown blowout.
While appearing on ESPN's First Take, NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky was asked to give his thoughts on the game and who he believes will win it. Let's just say Orlovsky would not be a betting man on the Bears.
"I think the Packers win, and the Packers win handily."
"I think teams give it (turnovers) to them at times. They don't have anything else. There's nothing else this defense is good at."
Is Orlovsky's criticism of the Bears defense fair or foul?
The reality is, Orlovsky isn't completely off on the defense not being so great. This unit ranks 29th in total defense (361.8 yards per game), 22nd in pass defense (227.2 yards per game), 27th in rush defense (134.5 yards per game), and 23rd in points allowed (24.4 per game).
Those numbers are not great, and they tell a story of a secondary that has struggled all year to cover slot receivers, and the lack of a pass rush has made life harder for the Bears' offense to get back in games. There is one stat, though, that makes the difference between Chicago winning and losing, and Orlovsky failed to bring it up.
Chicago's red-zone defense ranks 15th in scoring touchdowns at a 56.14%. That's okay, but at home in Soldier Field, the Bears are ranked second in the league, with 36.0% of those drives ending in touchdowns.
There are definitely flaws in this Bears defense that need improvement, which won't be able to be addressed until the offseason, but let's not discredit the unit altogether. They can still make the stops when needed and support their offense by keeping them in games.
Chicago's offense needs to get off to faster starts to games so there is less pressure on the defense to make plays and create turnovers. The Bears have typically been a second half team, which isn't the best time to get things going if they are facing a deficit.
Read more: Bears' final Wild Card injury report confirms Rome Odunze's long-awaited status
The national media may be sleeping on the Bears and their defense, but Chicago knows better than to show this team any doubt after winning six games on game-winning drives this season.