Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: 10 Things We Learned
One of the most anticipated rivalry games of the year is over and the dust has settled. The Packers did end up beating the Bears 10-3, but the game showed us that the defense is looking good and that the Bears can virtually shut down one of the most potent offenses in the NFL.
It was nice to see the coaching staff play the starters for the entire game as that will help the Bears continue continuity into the playoffs. That may have been the most important thing that head coach Lovie Smith did heading into the postseason.
So here are ten things that we learned about the Chicago Bears during their game against the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Matt Forte Is an Excellent Running Back
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The Bears got a lot of solid production out of Matt Forte this season and we saw that he was at it again in their game against the Packers. He was basically most of the offense (along with wide receiver Rashied Davis) and had almost 100 yards on the ground and 60 yards through the air. He will be a vital piece of the playoff puzzle during the postseason.
The Bears' Defense Played Very Good Game
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The Bears' defense had been much maligned coming into this game. They had given up a lot of points to the Patriots and the Jets and there were some that felt that the Bears' defense was headed downhill. But, in their game against the Packers, they picked it up and did a very nice job keeping the Packers out of the end zone for the most part. The two scores that the Packers got can be linked to other things other than the defense allowing Green Bay to march down the field and score.
Rashied Davis Is a Nice Emergency Wide Receiver
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Due to the injury to wide receiver Earl Bennett, the Bears started Rashied Davis and he had a pretty nice game. He caught seven passes for 63 yards and helped the Bears move the ball down the field through the air. It’s nice to know that Chicago has some other options at wide receiver just in case of injury and Davis appeared to be up for the challenge.
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The Bears' Front Four Looked Good for the Most Part
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The Bears' front four has been criticized in the past three games for not getting a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In this Sunday’s game against the Packers the Bears' front four was able to get consistent pressure on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and even sacked him twice in the game (linebacker Brian Urlacher had a half a sack). It was nice to see that the Bears could get some pressure and make the Cover 2 work for their defense.
Devin Hester Was Still a Game Changer
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Despite the fact he didn’t see too many touches on special teams, the Packers had to deal with not giving Devin Hester the ball on punt returns Sunday. In order to do that, they were forced to kick away from him, which gave the Bears good field position for the most part. Imagine how valuable this will be when the Bears play in the playoffs? It could mean the difference between a win or a loss.
The Bears Need to Run the Ball More
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It’s hard to tell just why the Bears get away from their running game when it’s clear that is the best thing going for them at the time, but Chicago didn’t stick with it on Sunday and it came back to haunt them. When the playoffs are in full swing the Bears will want to do whatever it takes to win (obviously) and when the running game is going strong, they need to stick with that and not get away from it unless it’s not working. It could be the best way for them to get to the Super Bowl.
Cutler Still Tries to Force Things from Time to Time
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This is not a serious knock on Cutler. He’s the reason why the Bears are in the playoffs and he’s a much better quarterback than he was last year, and much better than any quarterback the Bears have had in recent history. But there are times when he tries to force things a little too much and throws the errant interception. He needs to eliminate those mistakes in the playoffs or the Bears will be seeing their hopes of getting to the Super Bowl fade fast.
The Bears Secondary Can Hang with the Big Boys
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The Packers have one of the best quarterbacks and best wide receiving groups in the NFL and the Bears secondary managed to shut them down for the most part on Sunday. Their success in coverage had a lot to with the Bears' pass rush, but we did see some solid coverage out of guys like Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman. Their continued success in coverage, along with a strong pass rush from the front four will bring them a lot of postseason success.
Special Teams Coverage Units Need to Tighten Up
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The Packers got a nice return yesterday that helped set them up for some points courtesy of the Bears' special teams coverage units. The coverage units have been flirting with disaster the past few weeks and need to tighten things up desperately. If they allow opponents good field position on returns or even a score on special teams, that could put the Bears in danger of making an exit from the playoffs.
The Bears Are Ready for the Postseason
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The playoffs are here and the Bears appear ready despite the loss that they suffered at the hands of Green Bay Packers this Sunday. They just need to get back to what they do best including good tackling on defense and a ball control offense and they should be able to win in the playoffs.
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