Bears vs. 49ers: What Are Experts Saying About Chicago
It's been a long and tough week for the Chicago Bears who weren't expecting to go into California 0-1 to play the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2.
The Bears now have the tall task of having to get their first win on prime time this Sunday night against a team that has been to at least the NFC Championship Game three years in a row.
Given the effort by the defense against the run and some questionable turnovers from Jay Cutler, it's not surprising that experts are a little down on the Bears this week.
Here's what a few of them have to say going into the game against the 49ers. Don't forget to give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
ESPN NFL Live's Mark Schlereth and Teddy Bruschi See More Trouble on Defense
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The new-look defense for the Bears struggled once again to stop the run against the Buffalo Bills. ESPN NFL Live's Mark Schlereth and Teddy Bruschi both expect the struggles to continue for the Bears.
Schlereth calls this a "get right game" for the 49ers as they get their offense going against the Bears. Bruschi believes the 49ers defense "has something to prove" after allowing 118 yards on the ground to Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray.
It's tough to disagree with Schlereth. The Bears continue to lose contain on the edge, and the assignment gets no easier with running back Frank Gore and mobile quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
This 49ers defense is still vulnerable due to suspensions and injuries, so going with Bruschi's thought might not be such a wise choice.
The Bears should be able to move the football as long as their offensive line can hold up and the receivers are relatively healthy.
Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell Preaches Lane Discipline
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It's no surprise the defense gets most of the spotlight this week. Even though the Bears only gave up 23 points, the Bills rushed for 193 yards largely due to poor lane discipline.
Defensive end Jared Allen and linebacker Lance Briggs got most of the negative attention. In a video breakdown this week, the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell tells us what Allen and Briggs expect to improve on this week.
Campbell says, "Jared Allen wants to be aggressive but realizes his assignment has to fit in with the other 10 guys on the field."
Campbell goes on to say the Bears were satisfied with how they defended the zone read against the Bills. It will be interesting to see how they perform against the 49ers, who run the zone read better than nearly everyone in the league.
The Bears gave up two big runs in large part due to Briggs and Allen not staying in their gaps. Both players are All-Pro caliber veterans who will come out and clean up their mistakes in the second game.
Look for the Bears to feed more action toward the middle of the defense. Starting middle linebacker D.J. Williams failed to record a single tackle last week.
NFL.com's Jim Reineking Previews an Offense Looking to Get Back on Track
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Coming into the season, the Bears were expected by many to be one of the better offenses in the league. It came as a surprise to watch them struggle against the Bills last week and put only 20 points on the board.
In NFL.com's Jim Reineking's game preview, he highlights the Bears offense as a unit looking to get back on track. "The Bears have an opportunity to rectify that disappointment with a victory over San Francisco and thus return to their perceived preseason quality."
This is a depleted 49ers defense. Chicago head coach Marc Trestman will surely make some adjustments from last week's poor showing against the Bills and look to feature a more explosive attack.
Quarterback Jay Cutler could be on the move as he rotates away from a beat-up offensive line to get to the edge and give his receivers time to get open downfield.
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Fox Sports' Peter Schrager Sees a Tough Spot in Levi's Stadium
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It was important to get the first win at home last week because now the Bears have to go into a wild and hostile environment with their backs against the wall.
Fox Sports' Peter Schrager sees the regular-season unveiling of Levi's Stadium as too much for the Bears to handle: "They're unveiling the new stadium on Sunday. It's a night game, and the crowd's going to be nuts. I see the Bears dropping to 0-2."
Will it be loud and crazy? Of course it will be, but so is every NFL environment on the road. It's important for the Bears to weather the storm early and settle into this game.
If they can play controlled and within themselves, then they can actually take advantage of a 49ers team that might come out overly hyped and emotional. The big scene could be too much for the 49ers to keep up the entire game.
ESPNChicago.com's Jon Greenberg Puts It All on Jay Cutler
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Yes, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had to deal with injuries on the offense in Sunday's loss to the Bills, but he gets no excuses for the way he played.
ESPNChicago.com's Jon Greenberg thinks Cutler is getting paid like a big-time quarterback, so he must win a big-time game on the road against the 49ers. "With a fat contract and fewer excuses than ever before, the time is now for the 'New/Old/New/Same' Cutler to shock everyone and win this game in Santa Clara," he says."
Greenberg is right on the money here. Clearly, the Bears are led by their offense, and Cutler has the keys to the car that's supposed to drive them to a playoff season.
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