The news is quite good for the Chicago Bears this weekend. Matt Flynn is expected to start at quarterback for the Packers this Sunday at the New England Patriots over the concussed Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, the Vikings are most likely going to start Joe Webb at quarterback. If Webb falters or for some reason his bad hamstring acts up, Patrick Ramsey will be next in line for the Vikings.

As we all know, if the Packers lose and the Bears win, the Chicago Bears will be the NFC North champions.

Follow me on Twitter at BearsHq and BlueDemonsLair. For the latest DePaul Blue Demons news and more, check out www.bluedemonslair.com. Please show me the love for the Big East’s Biggest Fan at www.mybigeastvolvo.com.

Jonathan: “What is your impression of the Chicago Bears?”

Ryan: Tough nosed team.  I have been very impressed with the defense through six weeks, where they have played very solid.  As a matter of fact as a hole, the Bears remind me very much of the Skins.  They play to the wire and have edged their way to close victories.

Jonathan: “What player(s) scares you from the Chicago Bears?”

Ryan: On offense, Matt Forte.  The Redskins have been giving up huge chunks of yards on the ground, and I foresee him having the potential to have a great day.  If he gets loose early and often, it could be a long day for the Skins. On defense, Julius Peppers looks like he could have a huge day if the Redskins offensive line cannot protect Donovan McNabb.

Jonathan: “How do the Chicago Bears win this game?”

Ryan: If the Bears get a good ground attack going, and apply pressure early and often on McNabb, I see the Redskins playing catch-up for most of the game and have the Bears edge them in points 17-13. Don’t forget about Devin Hester…please don’t forget about him.

[picappgallerysingle id="9958402"] 

Jonathan: “How do the Washington Redskins win this game?”

Ryan: Same exact formula, but if the Skins can be a bit more balanced on offense (run game as well as passing game) I see them actually putting up points. Harassing Jay Cutler is key.  If they can contain him and keep him from making plays and getting to his play makers, the Skins should roll by the same score…17-13.

Jonathan: “Do you love the fact that Dallas sucks?”

Ryan: Yeah its great not having to hear about how great they are.  They can score a ton of points, and can make some plays on defense…but always seem to end up losing by 3 points.  That always makes it a good day here in D.C.

Jonathan: “Prediction?”

Ryan: I think the Redskins should bounce back from their loss to Indy.  The offense seems to be coming together and the run game finally have gotten some legs under Ryan Torain.  The key will be special teams.  Skins 17-13.

Now its my turn to be on the hotseat…here we go…

Ryan: “Through six weeks, how do you rate the Bears?  What are some of their strengths and likewise weaknesses?”

Jonathan: The Chicago Bears defense has been strong. Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs are dominant players. Devin Hester is back to his old form. Offensively, if the Chicago Bears don’t figure out a way to block for Jay Cutler, he will not last for a long period of time. The Chicago Bears will hit you, but they are allowing teams to hit them way too much.

Ryan: “What will be a bigger key on offense moving forward? Matt Forte’s legs or Jay Cutler’s arm?”

Jonathan: Both. The Chicago Bears need to find a way to run the football. If they don’t, it will be a long season moving forward. Chester Taylor is also a good runner. In order for Cutler to be an effective quarterback, they need to run the ball.

Ryan: “How confident are you in the Bears containing Donovan McNabb?”

[picappgallerysingle id="9959126"]Jonathan: Very. With Lance Briggs back this is a darn good defense.

Ryan: “What is your prediction for tomorrow and footnote?

Jonathan: I’m not feeling too good about this one. Mike Shanahan will pick this team apart. He knows Cutler better than anyone.

Ryan: “How do you feel about Brett Favre showing his “stuff” to the world?  What is a greater feeling, the Vikings only winning one game so far or the Packers on their recent slide?”

Jonathan: Favre is a tool. He’s been given a free pass and now people are seeing him for the fraud that he is has always been. As far as the two teams go, I’m happy as a kid in a candy store. I hate both teams. If put on the spot, its the Packers’ slide.

This was good stuff. As you read earlier, I am not feeling too good about today. My final score prediction…

Redskins 23 Bears 13…The Chicago Bears will fall behind early, recover before halftime, then continue to make just enough bad plays to lose this game.

Follow me on Twitter at Bearshq for in-game commentary.

Lets take a look at how the Bears did, position by position.

Quarterback- 18/34, 199 yrds, 3 td, 2 int- Rating: 3/5

Kyle Orton started off great.  Taking the Bears down the field in three plays, all passing, on their opening drive resulting in a 19-yard pass to Greg Olsen.  Orton would finish with three touchdowns, a career high.  All three touchdowns came in the first half though.  The second half was a different story though.  In the third quarter Orton turned the ball over three times, one interception and two fumbles.  All three turnovers came on three consecutive possessions.  In the end, Orton turned out a pretty good performance, but needs to play like he did the first half more consistently if the Bears are going to make a run at the division.

Running Backs-  26 carries, 78 yrds, 3.0 avg- 6 catches, 43 yards- Rating: 3.5/5

This was not the best rushing performance by the Bears run game, but it did the job.  They picked up yards in key situations.  Matt Forte carried the ball 19 times for just 43 yards.  Kevin Jones spelled him three times for 16 yards.  Devin Hester gained 15 yards on an end around, and Marty Booker picked up three yards on what looked to be a wide receiver option.  Forte continued to be a reliable receiving option for Orton out of the backfield though, as Orton found him five times when he was getting into trouble.  In the end, you would like to see the ground game pick up more yards, but in a game where Orton shined in the first half, the ground game was able to eat away the clock in the fourth quarter.  Forte turned in a total 24 touches for 88 yards.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends- 12 catches, 157 yrds, 3 TDs- Rating: 3.5/5

The Chicago Bears reveiving core looked great as a group, but no one stood out alone.  Hester, Booker and Olsen all caught touch down passes.  Hester also dropped a pass over the middle of the field that would proably have ended in a touchdown.  He redemed himself with a 20 yard grab down the sideline for a second quarter touchdown that put Chicago up 21-14.  Olsen had three catches, and zero turnovers! Booker also got his first touchdown back with the Bears.  Brandon Lloyd, last weeks leading wide out, had two catches for 33 yards before leaving with an injury, which he did not return from.  Besides the dropped catch by Hester, the wide outs performed well.

Defensive Line- 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks – Rating: 4/5

The Chicago Bears were without pro-bowl defensive lineman Tommie Harris and did not have to face pro-bowl running back Brian Westbrook or pro-bowl guard Shaun Andrews.  They held running back Correll Buckhalter to just 66 yards rushing but he averaged 4.1 yards per carry.  The were able to keep Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb on the run though, sacking him 1.5 times.  The line made a huge stop in the fourth quarter though.  As the eagles drove 75 yards down the field with hopes of tying the, the Chicago Bears stopped them at the one yard line on 3 consecutive plays, yielding a turn over on downs.

Linebackers- 11 tackles, 1 sack- Rating: 3.5/5

The Bears linebackers played a great game Sunday, although not putting up huge numbers.  Lance Briggs was continuosly chasing guys around the field, and had two crowed ‘awwing’ hits.  Hunter Hillenmeyer sacked McNabb once, and Brain Urlacher was all over the field as usual, picking up 8 tackles.

Defensive Secondary- 22 tackles, .5 sack, 1 int- Rating 4/5

The Chicago Bears secondary played very well Sunday, allowing the least amount of passing yards and touchdowns by McNabb for the season.  Danieal Manning got into the back field to assist Ogunleye in a sack.  Kevin Payne tied Urlacher for the team lead in sacks with 8 tackles, he also returned an interception for 49 yards, almost scoring a touchdown.  The secondary had a touch time trying to cover speedy rookie DeShawn Jackson who scored the only receiving touchdown for the Eagles.  Charles Tillman left in the fourth quarter after being in obvious pain after missing a tackle.  The Bears secondary was able to prevent any really big plays, something usually tough for the opposing teams to do against the Eagles offense.

Overall Team Rating: 4/5

The Chicago Bears were the clear underdogs against the Eagles, as nobody was really giving them a chance.  The Bears showed early that they were a team that should not be looked over.  The second half play by the Bears offense, mainly Orton,  was clear to why they blew second half leads the last two weeks and are only 2-2.   The defense showed its true character with their goal line stand, which was definitely the focal point of the second half.

While it was first half offense that got the Bears going in week 4, it was traditional Chicago Bears defense that finished of the game in the second half.

The Eagles on the other hand weren’t the same without Westbrook and I’m sure they would contribute his absence to their loss. The starting running back, Correll Buckhalter, had 16 carries for 66 yards and two catches for 24 yards. McNabb threw for 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception. McNabb’s only touchdown went to rookie DeShawn Jackson in the first quarter.

The Bears went into the fourth quarter with the lead and finally managed to hold it. After two huge defensive stops at the goal line, the Bears walked away with a 24 to 20 win. It was a lot closer than many fans would like to have seen, but a win is a win.

The Bears will travel next week to Detroit to face the Millenless Lions.

The last two games have been a big disappointment to Bears fans everywhere. During the last two games against the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears have managed to let a significant lead disappear late in the game. Week two was gut wrenching in week two, but to have the same outcome in week three was heartbreaking.

If the Bears hope to have any chance this Sunday, Kyle Orton can’t afford to make any careless turnovers and Matt forte will need to average over five yards a carry, as in week one. If Chicago can get the run game going, look for Orton to take some chances deep to his favorite receiver Brandon Lloyd and hopefully find his tight ends Greg Olsen and veteran Desmond Clark.

Bears fans should be nervous this week, but hope for a week four turnaround.