New York Jets vs. Chicago Bears: 10 Reasons This Game Matters
At first blush, the Bears winning the division last Monday may give everyone the impression that the rest of the regular season will be a sleepwalk for the team. But no, these Bears do actually have something very important to play for: the No. 2 seed.
That seed will ensure the Bears of a first-round bye. That means one less victory on the path to the Super Bowl for Chicago.
Of course, the game is even more critical for the Jets, who are fighting for their playoff lives.
Meanwhile, another week in the NFL, and another week of weirdness for the Bears. Last week it was the last-second decision by Brett Favre to play, and before that, the roof caves in at the Metrodome, forcing the game to be played outdoors at TCF Bank stadium.
This week, it's Jets coach Rex Ryan and his foot fetish. Yep, never a dull moment around here, despite our stoic head coach.
So let's take a look at the 10 reasons why this game actually is worth watching.
10 Reasons, 10 Toes...Coincidence? I Think Not
1 of 10
Cue the Footloose soundtrack. If the Jets lose this game, the New York media will have a field day with Rex Ryan, saying that the entire foot fetish thing with his wife was a distraction for the team and that's why they lost.
Face it, every time the Bears beat an opponent, there always seems to be an excuse other than they just plain whipped them.
Opening day was "the catch that wasn't." Miami was starting its third string QB. And so on.
So why should this week be any different?
A First-Round Bye Is At Stake for the Bears
2 of 10
Look, having a bye is a big deal and is worth fighting for. To the Bears credit, they seem to truly understand that more work is to be done.
Sure, they celebrated the division title, but they all said the right things after the game, which tell you two things: One, they have taken on the personality of their coach; and two, they are not satisfied with simply making the playoffs.
The Bears are currently tied with Philly at 10-4. With a win in hand against the Eagles, all they need to do is match them over the final two games and the bye belongs to the Bears.
Philly Has the Easier Schedule
3 of 10
The Bears need to win out because the Eagles may not lose another game this season.
While the Bears play the Jets and then the always-dangerous Packers at Green Bay, the Eagles play a Minnesota team that has given up and will likely start Joe Webb, and a Cowboys team that really has little to play for.
Both games are at home for Philadelphia, by the way, making a Bears win even more important if they want that first-round bye.
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The Jets Are Fighting for Their Playoff Lives
4 of 10
Sure, the game matters to Chicago, but for the Jets, it is do or die.
Like the Bears, the Jets are 10-4. But unlike Chicago, they are in second place behind a Patriots team that has already clinched its division.
This means that for the Jets to make the playoffs, they need to do so as a wild card. But the Ravens are also 10-4 and finish their season against Cleveland and Cincinnati.
The Jets can clinch an AFC playoff berth with a win in Chicago, or a loss by either Jacksonville or Indianapolis.
The Jets Are 6-1 On the Road
5 of 10
This Jets team has played very well on the road this season, while the Bears have been less than stellar at home.
While the Jets have won six of seven on the road, Chicago is only 4-3 at Soldier Field, losing to Seattle and Washington and getting absolutely destroyed by New England, all at home.
Meanwhile, the Jets are coming off of an impressive victory at Pittsburgh this past weekend.
Hey, maybe the Soldier Field roof will collapse...on second thought, we've seen football at Wrigley Field and it's not pretty.
Confidence
6 of 10
The Bears winning their last two games will help their confidence going into the playoffs.
With such an up-and-down season, this group needs to believe in itself and while they seem to have all the confidence in the world on the outside, those terrible losses to the Giants and New England, combined with the two losses at home to very mediocre teams must have them questioning themselves at least a bit.
A win over the Jets will go a long way toward respectability for the Bears.
The Jets Offense vs. the Bears Defense Should Be Fun to Watch
7 of 10
The Bears rank 30th in total offense while the Jets rank 13th. They have out-rushed the Bears by more than 600 yards on the season. Meanwhile, the Bears are stellar against the run, so this should be a good matchup.
LaDanian Tomlinson was great before the bye week, but has been hit or miss since then. He averaged only 2.6 yards per carry against Miami in Week 14 but had a good average against the Patriots and the Steelers.
Shonn Greene has struggled the past two weeks, but was very good against New England and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry on the season.
QB Mark Sanchez has been spotty all year and has a sore shoulder. He has gone three consecutive games without throwing a touchdown, yet has four INTs during that span.
That should play right into the hands of a Bears defense that loves to take the ball away.
What Will Devin Hester Do For an Encore?
8 of 10
If nothing else, the game is worth watching to see what Devin Hester will do as a follow-up to Monday's record-setting performance. Sure, Rex Ryan said they won't kick to him, but he may get a chance and it will be interesting to see what he will do.
Even if they do not kick to Hester, the Bears should have good field position as a result.
Jets Are Last In INTs Which Is Good for Cutler
9 of 10
The Jets defense have the fewest interceptions in the AFC with only seven, and that bodes well for QB Jay Cutler who is known to throw an INT on occasion.
Meanwhile, that same Jets defense has caused the most fumbles with 16. Only the Giants have more in the NFL.
The Bears are second in the NFC in interceptions, so if they can get a pass rush on Sanchez, this could get ugly.
Bears Will Win
10 of 10
What better reason to watch, at least for Bears fans, than to watch a Bears victory?
In what should be a very tough game, I am predicting a 21-20 win for Chicago.
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