
NFL Week 12 Prediction: 10 Reasons Why Vick and Co. Will Beat the Bears
The Philadelphia Eagles (7-3) head to Soldier Field to face off against the Chicago Bears (7-3) in a matchup between two of the top teams in the NFC.
Michael Vick's MVP caliber season is getting the Eagles a whole lot of hype in the media, while the Bears, led by the always-erratic Jay Cutler, have gotten their seven wins quietly.
A Bears win would legitimize their status as Super Bowl contenders, while an Eagles win would confirm the public's fascination with them.
Here are 10 reasons why the Eagles will take out the Bears.
Sacks
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In the Bears' three losses (to the Giants, Seahawks and Redskins), they allowed Jay Cutler to be sacked a combined 20 times (including 10 against the G-Men).
The Bears' sub-par offensive line combined with Cutler's tendency to hold on to the ball too long gets them in trouble, and Philly is ninth in the league in sacks, with 26.
If Trent Cole and the rest of the Eagles can get to Cutler (which seems likely), they'll have success.
LeSean McCoy
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The Eagles can't expect to move the ball well on the ground against the Bears' second-ranked rush defense, but LeSean McCoy's skill-set at least gives them a shot.
Ahmad Bradshaw has been one of the only running backs to have success against the Bears (23 rushes, 129 yards and a TD in a win). McCoy is similar to Bradshaw with his elusiveness in the open field, and he should at least break a few solid gains, opening things up for Michael Vick in the passing game.
Interceptions
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Jay Cutler's interception problems are well documented (12-10 TD-INT ratio in 2010, 93-93 for his career).
DeAngelo Hall picked off Cutler four times himself in the Redskins' win over the Bears, and it wouldn't be a surprise for an Eagle to do the same (despite the absence of Asante Samuel).
The Eagles are first in the NFL with 19 interceptions (the next-closest team has 15), and that will pose a huge problem for Cutler.
Turnover Margin
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Sticking with the theme of turnovers, Philly has a huge edge.
Chicago is sixth in the league in turnover margin at plus-three, but the Eagles are first, with a much better mark of plus-15.
Matt Forte
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Philadelphia's run-defense is merely average, giving up four yards per carry.
But fortunately for them, Matt Forte hasn't run the ball well all year, at just 3.8 yards per carry. Despite being a full-time starter, he is barely on pace for 900 yards on the season.
Secondary
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The Bears are at their best when they are having success with the deep ball, but Philly gives up just 6.6 yards per pass attempt.
The Eagles should be able to contain Johnny Knox from beating them down the field, and if they can do that, the Bears will struggle to score points.
DeSean Jackson
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The Bears are a tough team to beat deep behind Danieal Manning and Chris Harris, but DeSean Jackson is the NFL's best deep threat.
If anyone can beat Chicago deep, it's Jackson.
Jeremy Maclin
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There aren't many teams out there that have two players that can beat you down the field.
Maclin isn't as fast as Jackson (who is?), but he is just as good of a receiver.
If the Bears key in on Jackson, Maclin will beat them. There's just no way you can stop both.
Strength Of Schedule
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It's pretty safe to say that if there were BCS standings for the NFL, the Bears would be below the Eagles.
The Bears have only beaten one team with a winning record (Green Bay), while the Eagles have beaten four (Jacksonville, Atlanta, Indianapolis, New York Giants).
Michael Vick
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Michael Vick has been the best player in the NFL in games he's started (16 total touchdowns, zero interceptions, one lost fumble).
The Bears boast the league's top scoring defense, but Vick has been performing against everyone.
Until someone stops him (the Giants came somewhat close), don't bet against the reinvented Vick.
Comments
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What do you think?
Will Philly actually win?
Let me know in the comments.
Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud.
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