Bears vs. Eagles: 4 Bold Predictions for Monday Night Football

In perhaps the biggest game of the week, the Chicago Bears will be visiting the Philadelphia Eagles in what is a must win situation for both teams. No better place to play this out then on Monday Night Football.

Both the Bears (4-3) and Eagles (3-4) are going to be fighting hard for this win, and both will need it following victories by most of their division rivals on Sunday. The Eagles will be playing to regain their pride, as they came into the season with the expectations to be the most feared team in the NFL, to only fall short in dropping four of their first seven games.

The Bears on the other hand are looking to prove that they are still contenders in the NFC, following a 2010 season that found them in the NFC Championship game. This season, they dropped three games, but they were to the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.

While all three of those teams are some of the best in the NFC, they will be looking to make a mark on the Eagles this evening in order to restore their image of being a threat in the NFC.

Here are four bold predictions for when the Bears and Eagles battle it out tonight.

Jay Cutler Will Pass More Touchdowns Then Matt Forte Will Run in

On Monday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles are likely going to be focused on stopping Chicago Bears' running back Matt Forte. This season, Forte has been one of the better running backs in the NFL, and he is a threat to take off at any moment.

It is no secret that the Bears' strength lies in the running game. While the Eagles are focused on stopping the Bears' strength, quarterback Jay Cutler is going to be given the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Look for Cutler to control the Bears' offense on Monday night, and he will lead the team in their scoring drives tossing multiple touchdowns. There is no reason to eliminate Forte from being on the other end of these touchdowns, as he is the Bears' top receiver, but it will be Cutler who is making it happen.

Monday night will be Cutler's time to shine on the big stage.

Michael Vick Will Struggle

There is no team in NFL that has given Vick a harder time over his career then the Chicago Bears. The Bears are 4-0 against Vick, and they will likely continue that success tonight.

Vick did have a great game against Chicago last year, passing for 333 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Those were solid numbers, but Vick was also on top of the world a year ago. This season, he has been down and often injured. He has shined at times, but against a bruising Bears defense, he could likely struggle.

Vick will put up a fight like he always does, so don't expect him to go down easily. Tonight though, the Bears will have his number.

Dane Sanzenbacher Will Come Through as the Bears No. 1 Target

When the Chicago Bears started the 2011 season, they had their receiving corp set with Roy Williams, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Earl Bennett. Deep on the bench was Ohio State undrafted free agent Dane Sanzenbacher.

Even though he stood out in preseason play, Sanzenbacher still seemed like a long shot to find a role with this team. Then again, this is the Bears, and anyone really has a shot to be a receiver here.

As injuries took their toll, Sanzenbacher finally got his chance. On the season, he has brought in two touchdown passes from quarterback Jay Cutler, and after tonight's game, he will become Cutler's official go-to guy.

The Bears are in desperate need of some type of consistent receiver, and it looks like Sanzenbacher is going to be the guy to present that opportunity from this point on.

LeSean McCoy Will Stand out as the Eagles' Biggest Play Threat

While the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick is possibly the most athletic player the NFL has ever seen, he will be surpassed on the Eagles as the biggest play threat by running back LeSean McCoy. 

McCoy has been becoming one of the premier running backs in the league, and the Eagles are going to be needing a new spark in their offense as they are down on the season. As talented as Vick is, his offensive game has become extremely inconsistent.

With McCoy, they know that he is going to run the ball hard, and that he will move the ball consistently.

Coach Andy Reid does love the passing game, but at this point in the season he is going to have to turn to the running game. McCoy is averaging an astonishing 5.6 yards per carry on the season, and he will continue to put up the big numbers as more and more opportunities present itself.

Jeff Chase is from Chicago and is an undergrad at Arizona State University. He currently is interning with B/R and is in process of becoming a Featured Columnist for Arizona State football.

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