6 Ways the Chicago Bears Defense Can Slow Down Matt Ryan and Co.

The Bears open their 2011 season on Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons travel to Soldier Field in what should be a very closely contested game. As usual with the Bears, it may come down to defense.

While I have recently written that there are increased expectations for the Bears' offense, the hallmark of this team is, and probably always will be, that defense.

From Dick Butkus to Mike Singletary to Brian Urlacher, linebackers have dominated the field whenever the Bears play. And this Sunday should be no exception.

However, that is not to say that beating the Falcons will be an easy task. But it is a critical task because looking at the early schedule, there are no "gimmes."

Following Atlanta, the Bears travel to New Orleans to face the Saints and then host the Packers in Week 3. 

Recognizing that, if the Bears don't play their best football, they could be 0-3, and that may be a hole that they could not climb out of. 

So, not to put pressure on Sunday's game, but the fate of the entire season may well rest on it. That said, what can the Bears' defense do to slow down that Atlanta offense featuring "Matty Ice." a.k.a. Matt Ryan?

As usual, I try to give all the answers.

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Take Advantage of the Rookie

The Falcons have one of the more celebrated rookie wideouts in recent history in Julio Jones. He will be a handful for a Bears secondary that is questionable in coverage.

In the most stunning move during this year's draft, the Falcons traded five picks to move up 21 slots to claim Jones.

And Jones is the real deal, Bears fans. He's a big (6'3"), physical receiver with explosiveness, going up against mostly tiny Bears D-backs. So how can the Bears exploit this matchup?

Remember that Jones is a rookie who is playing in his first-ever NFL game.

The man most likely to be covering him is Charles Tillman, and he's no rookie. He knows all the tricks. While experience alone may not be enough to stop Jones, it may at least slow him down.

Jones is very talented, but rookies make mistakes. Let's hope he makes a few on Sunday.

Avoid the Late Collapse

In each of the last two times the Bears faced Matt Ryan and the Falcons, the defense generally did a good job until they collapsed late in the game.

The two wins by Atlanta were by a combined nine points in 2008 and 2009, so both games went down to the wire.

The Bears suffered a crippling defensive lapse in the final minutes of a 22-20 loss in 2008, then fell apart late in the red zone in a 21-14 loss in 2009.

If the defense can play the entire game this time, and they seem to have more depth to do so, the Bears chances look good.

Matty Ice, Meet Julius Peppers

The last two times that Ryan and company faced the Bears, they didn't have to worry about No. 90 lurking in the shadows.

Well, Mr. Ryan, look who's knocking at your door now. Imagine that is you, and not Aaron Rodgers, being "hugged" by the big bad Bears DE in that picture.

Julius Peppers should give the Bears more of a pass rush than they were able to generate in the previous meetings between the teams.

In fact, Ryan admits as much.

"A little bit different (with Peppers), he's a big addition," Ryan said. "Obviously, we played Julius a number of times when he was with Carolina, so we know what he brings to the table. He's an extremely talented player, very good pass rusher, very good against the run. They can use him in a number of different areas. He's incredibly athletic."

Yes, he is, and without Tommie Harris bogging down the inside, the Bears should get more push from the three technique as well.

Rush the passer and the passer makes more mistakes. That's what the Bears are banking on this Sunday.

Stop the Run

If you stop the run, you force the Falcons' offense to be one-dimensional. And even with a solid QB and terrific weapons to throw to, knowing that a team is going to pass makes it easier on the defense.

For that to happen, the Bears need to focus on Michael Turner. Turner rushed for 1,371 yards last season, but the Bears were very stingy against the run.

It probably doesn't mean much, but Turner gained just 33 yards on 14 carries in his final two preseason games, and the Falcons running game didn't really come off track at all until Week 5 of the preseason.

Only Pittsburgh allowed fewer rushing yards than the Bears in 2010. In terms of average yards per rushing attempt last season, Atlanta was 26th in the league.

Exploit the Newsest Members of Atlanta's O-Line

The Falcons were able to re-sign two of their three unrestricted free-agent offensive linemen this offseason, losing Harvey Dahl.

Meanwhile, they will be featuring two new faces under center and at right guard.

The game plan will likely be to attack center Joe Hawley and right guard Garrett Reynol by blitzing and stunting and otherwise confusing the two. A new center means new communication, and to disrupt that flow would be ideal.

Peppers lines up on either side, so Reynol can expect to see a lot of him on Sunday.

Home Cookin'

The last two times the teams met, the Bears were on the road. We all know how close to unbeatable Atlanta is at home, but they can be beat on the road.

Take advantage of the home crowd and fire them up with some big hits on Ryan.

The Falcons had a great regular season last year, but of the few times they did lose, it was mostly on the road.

Atlanta lost the opener to the Steelers on the road and was soundly beaten by the Saints at New Orleans in Week 6.