Chicago Bears: 5 Bears Who Will Have the Biggest Impact vs the Chargers

When the Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers take the field Sunday in Week 11, two four-game streaks will be on the line during the national late-game of the week. The Bears will look to extend their four-game winning streak, while the Chargers are trying to snap their four-game skid.

Both teams are in the thick of their respective conferences' playoff races.

The Bears, who are coming off of a convincing 37-13 win over the Detroit Lions, will need some big contributions from some key players to keep their streak alive.

Some in the media are calling this a trap game due to the fact that the Chargers have a losing record, and the Bears sit at 6-3, coming off of a big win. Anyone who has followed the NFL the last few seasons knows that the Chargers usually heat up in the second half of the year.

Including the 2011 season, over the last five seasons, the Chargers have won 34 of 43 games in November and December. Despite losing several key players to injuries this year, the Chargers will still pose a threat to the Bears this week at Soldier Field.

For the Bears to win, some important players need to play at their highest level to ensure victory for the Bears.

Here are the Bears that will have the biggest impact against the Chargers this Sunday.

Johnny Knox

Bears wide receiver and kick returner Johnny Knox has been somewhat quiet on offense the last few weeks. Knox has only seven catches during the Bears' current four-game winning streak.

Where Knox could have a big impact on Sunday is in the kicking game. While the Bears haven't been in a position to return kicks too often the last few weeks due to their improved defensive play, there is the possibility of Knox getting a few cracks at returning kicks Sunday.

Normally, Devin Hester would be the special teams player expected to have the biggest impact in a game, and his mere presence does impact how teams cover punts.

Hester most likely won't get too many chances returning punts Sunday. Chargers punter Nick Scifres is in the top five in several punting categories. Scifres, a nine-year veteran in the NFL, most likely won't kick often in Hester's direction.

The Chargers rank 19th in touchbacks on kickoffs, however, and 27th in kickoff return yards allowed.

With Knox's big-play ability and speed, he may have an impact on offense against the Chargers, but most likely will make his biggest contributions by putting the Bears in good field position when he gets opportunities to return kicks Sunday.

Jay Cutler

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has quietly had a solid 2011 season. He has limited his mistakes on offense, only throwing for six interceptions this year.

Cutler was somewhat pedestrian in the Bears' win over the Lions in Week 11. He only completed 9-of-19 passes for 123 passing yards. The Bears defense and special teams did most of the scoring, so Cutler was not vital to the Bears' victory over the Lions.

With the Chargers' potential for scoring and racking up yards, Cutler's performance this Sunday will be important to a Bears' victory.

While the Chargers are the eighth-ranked defense against the pass in 2011, they have been vulnerable in in the passing game in recent weeks. During their four-game losing streak, the Chargers have allowed an average of 232 passing yards to their opponents.

Look for Cutler to get back on track, especially after another week with wide receiver Earl Bennett back in the offense.

Matt Forte

Not surprisingly, Matt Forte will be an important ingredient to any success the Bears may have Sunday. Forte has performed at an elite level in 2011 and should continue to be a major part of the Bears offense against the Chargers.

Hopefully for the Bears, Forte's performance against the Lions in Week 10 wasn't a sign that he's slowing down this year after receiving the majority of the Bears' targets this season.

Forte averaged 3.6 yards per rushing attempt against the Lions, which included a late 40-yard run. Up until that late scamper, Forte was averaging 1.4 yards per carry.

Look for Forte to get back in the flow of the offense against the Chargers. The Bears might have a few designed screens for Forte to get him going early.

The Chargers are currently the 24th-ranked defense against the run this season. It will be important for Forte to have success so that the Bears can keep Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers off the field for most of the game.

Charles Tillman

Bears veteran cornerback Charles Tillman is having another quality season in 2011. Throughout his career, the underrated defensive back has made a habit of quieting the league's top wide receivers, and this year has been no different.

After keeping the Lions' All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson out of the end zone last Sunday, Tillman will be tasked with covering another top-flight receiver, Vincent Jackson.

While Jackson struggled last week in the Chargers' loss to the Oakland Raiders, he's still capable of putting up big numbers. Against the Packers in Week 9, Jackson had 141 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Tillman should be able to handle the 6'5", 230-pound receiver Sunday. Tillman's physical play and smart defending should keep Jackson quiet and limit his chances for making big plays.

Julius Peppers

The fuel to the Bears' fire in their Week 10 win over the Lions was defensive end Julius Peppers. Peppers applied early pressure to Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and was a force all game, allowing the Bears to play man-coverage most of the game and make some big plays on defense.

Peppers will face a depleted San Diego offensive line Sunday. The Chargers may be fielding three starting linemen who did not start in Week 1 for the Chargers.

After shelving their Pro Bowl offensive guard Kris Dielman for the season, the Chargers also may be without starting left tackle Marcus McNeill. McNeill suffered an injury during the Chargers' loss to the Raiders last week.

With Peppers practicing this week after playing through a knee injury for most of the year, he should be primed for a huge game against the Chargers.

The Chargers rely on their offense to take control of games, and if Phillip Rivers is on the run Sunday, he will most likely turn the ball over a few times. Rivers currently leads the NFL with 15 interceptions.

If Peppers gets rolling early, the Bears could have a performance similar to their 24-point victory over the Lions in Week 10 when the Bears defense turned in one of the NFL's most dominating performances of the year.