Chicago Bears Week 4 Preview

McNaab has been cursed the past two seasons with nagging injuries and it seems like 2008 will be no different. The Bears need to hit him and hit him hard. The Eagles receiving corps is thin and their stud running back is hurt. This puts the game on McNaab’s shoulders which should give Bears defensive coordinator Dave Toub free reign to blitz early and often.

The Bears defense has been great against the run this short season and I expect that to continue this week. A rotating defensive front helps keep the pass rush fresh unless of course the opposing team goes no-huddle (like Tampa did) in which case someone on the line needs to make a play.

After some half time adjustments Kyle Orton took to the skies with the Bears offense and turned it into points. It was textbook how the Bears first established that they were committed to running with Forte then aired it out when the time was right. The Eagles secondary is possibly best in the NFL but if the Bears establish the run then even the Eagles will have to respect the run threat. The real threat to the Bears offense is Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Johnson has been known to blitz from every possible position and makes a living disguising coverage packages. This game will be a good test to see how far Kyle Orton has progressed as a play caller.

The Bears have not done the intangible things necessary to win these past two weeks. Against the Bucs, the Bears had more dropped passes. Rashied Davis and Desmond Clark dropped passes that killed drives. Both times Orton put the ball exactly where it needed to be so the balls should have been caught.

Of course there was the completely bone-headed penalty committed by Charles Tillman. Small things like that. Things that a veteran like Tillman should by now know are important. Allow me to plainly state why it was a bone-headed penalty; yes, Tillman was only defending his teammate but he should know that the ref’s call what they see. More often than not they only see the retaliation, the player defending his teammate. That’s just the way it is and Tillman should know better.

Players to watch

Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd had an excellent game against the Bucs but faces a much tougher secondary against the Eagles. Look for Pro Bowl defensive back Asante Samuel to shadow Lloyd all day.

Rashied Davis: After three weeks Davis has three key drops. Catches any receiver should’ve made. He needs to prove himself and there’s no better stage to do it than on prime time.

Tommie Harris: Harris’ number hasn’t been called too much this season. Look for that to end this week as the Eagles look to pass more than rush with Westbrook hurting.

Key to the game

Finishing. Yes it’s cliché but the Bears have played well enough to be 3-0 at this point. The offense needs to finish drives with touchdowns and the Defense needs to stop both the running game and the passing game and play hard into the 4^th quarter where the past two games the offense has setup the defense with a lead.