SUN BEAR NEWS-Bowman,harris,urlacher,jennings,cutler

Bears-Giants: Four things to watch on Sunday

By Brad Biggs

1. Changing of the guard

Obscured by the fact that the Bears last Monday benched a three-time Pro Bowl performer who signed a nearly $40 million extension three years ago is the fact that the defense continued to perform well in the absence of Tommie Harris, not to mention cornerback Zack Bowman, who got the hook after two series. The Bears have struggled without top depth for a number of seasons, and tackle Matt Toeaina and cornerback Tim Jennings looked like capable replacements. Harris and Bowman got only a few reps with the first team this past week. Look for more of the same.

2. Brick wall

A run defense that allowed six of its final 11 opponents to rush for 135 yards or more last season has been nearly impenetrable. The Bears' first three opponents have combined for 119 yards on 56 rushes for a 2.1-yard average. The Giants pose a formidable test with Ahmad Bradshaw, but with former SIU standout Brandon Jacobs struggling, it's not the 1-2 punch New York has had in the past. When the Bears have been gashed in the running game it has been through cutback lanes. The front seven has been sound and that's a tribute to the return of linebackers Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa.

3. Bright lights, big city

The Bears visited New York's teams on consecutive November weekends in 2006, sweeping the Giants and Jets after suffering their first loss of the season to the Dolphins. It was in that East Coast exposure that Rex Grossman's credentials began to be seriously questioned. He didn't perform well in a 10-0 victory over the Jets and never regained his swagger. What's the connection? A big performance by the Bears in the sport's biggest city on the bright stage of Sunday night could have the reverse effect for Jay Cutler and offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

4. Mettle winners

Because you're versed in Loviespeak, you know Smith divides the season into quarters. The Bears have the opportunity to finish the first quarter perfect even though it hasn't been that through three games. They have trailed in all three and in the fourth quarter of two of them. Those are valuable experiences moving forward and proof that the veteran team knows how to make breaks for itself. That's the difference between many teams that are destined to finish in the middle of the pack and those that are competing into January.

NFL: Inside the number

There are several ways to glean special insight into NFL action. Statistical analysis is one approach, and no company crunches numbers and tracks trends better than Northbrook-based STATS. Each NFL Sunday, the Sun-Times and STATS will present unique information that relates to the Bears and entire league.
— Sean Jensen
Not so fast
Don’t head to the concessions stands too early before the half on Sunday. The Bears and Giants lead the league in scoring at the end of the half (last two minutes).
RankTeam

Points
1st half pts.
2nd half pts.
TDs

1BEARS

29
20
9
3

2Giants

21
14
7
3

3Lions

18
10
8
2

T-4Colts

17
10
7
2

T-4Jaguars

17
10
7
2

T-4Redskins

17
10
7
2

Quick Strikes
The Bears and Giants boast top-12 offenses. But they’re both among the worst in the league at sustained drives (10 or more plays).
RankTeam

Poss.
10-play drives
10-play TDs
10-play total pts.

T-31Eagles

36
1
1
7

T-31Giants

37
1
0
3

T-28Seahawks

33
2
0
3

T-28Jaguars

36
2
0
0

T-28BEARS

35
2
0
3

Oops
Giants QB Eli Manning’s receivers have a case of the dropsies.
QuarterbackTeam

Passes dropped

Sam BradfordRams

9

Tom BradyPatriots

9

Shaun HillLions

8

Derek AndersonCardinals

7

Brett FavreVikings

7

Eli ManningGiants

7

Peyton ManningColts

7

Carson PalmerBengals

7

Mark SanchezJets

7

Ice water in his veins
Last week, Saints kicker Garrett Hartley badly missed a 29-yard field goal in overtime. The Saints then brought in John Carney, one of the most clutch kickers in league history. Here is how kickers, with at least four attempts, have fared on kicks in the final two minutes or overtime with the score tied or their team trailing by three points or fewer:
RankKicker

Made
Attempts
Pct.

1Matt Bryant

12
13
92.3

2John Carney

22
24
91.7

3Jeff Reed

10
11
90.9

4Josh Brown

9
10
90.0

5Josh Scobee

8
9
88.9

6Mike Nugent

6
7
85.7

7ROBBIE GOULD

9
11
81.8

8Rian Lindell

13
16
81.3

9Ryan Longwell

17
21
81.0

10Adam Vinatieri

24
30
80.0

11Joe Nedney

15
19
78.9

12tBilly Cundiff

7
9
77.8

12tRob Bironas

7
9
77.8

14David Akers

13
17
76.5

15Olindo Mare

19
25
76.0

16Lawrence Tynes

6
8
75.0

17Sebastian Janikowski

11
15
73.3

18Phil Dawson

10
14
71.4

19Jason Hanson

16
23
69.6

20Neil Rackers

11
16
68.8

21Nate Kaeding

4
6
66.7

22John Kasay

13
22
59.1

23Jay Feeley

10
17
58.8

24Garrett Hartley

4
7
57.1

25Mason Crosby

2
4
50.0

Top and bottom five teams (in terms of average starting position)
Own starting positionRankTeam

Poss.
Avg. starting poss.

1BEARS

35
37.7

2Titans

38
35.6

3Steelers

35
34.2

4Bengals

39
33.7

5Buccaneers

35
33.1

Opponents’ starting positionRankTeam

Poss.
Avg. starting poss.

32Giants

36
35.9

31Panthers

38
35.7

T-29Chargers

38
35.1

T-29Cardinals

38
35.1

mark potash breakdown


WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL

ON THE GROUND
Jay Cutler was the Bears' leading rusher (three carries, 37 yards) against the Packers, a trend that doesn't portend to winning football. Matt Forte has averaged 2.9., 2.9 and 2.8 yards per carry in the first three games. At his current rate, the NFL would have to expand to a 28-game schedule for Forte to become a 1,000-yard rusher. But the onus is on the offensive line, a work in progress, to make it happen. The problem is, the Bears don't run enough in Mike Martz's offense to give the line the rhythm it needs to establish anything. Against a team ranked 26th in the NFL against the run, the Bears might want to make a concerted effort to establish a ground game. It might pay off down the road.

KEY MATCHUP: Bears QB Jay Cutler vs. Giants FS Antrel Rolle
With sack leader Mathias Kiwanuka out (neck) and Osi Umenyiora questionable (knee), Cutler might have plenty of opportunities, which is when he often gets into the most trouble. As well as he has played, he's still prone to taking ill-advised chances. Rolle is the kind of safety who will take advantage of that.

IN THE AIR
By hook or by crook, Cutler has managed to avoid the costly interceptions that doomed his first season with the Bears. Cutler is third in the NFL in passer rating (109.7). Six of his 60 completions have accounted for 330 of his 870 yards, and Martz's style of picking his spots should work well against a Giants defense that doesn't give up many big plays. Key stat: Peyton Manning threw 26 times and Vince Young 16 in victories against the Giants. Even without Devin Aromashodu, the Bears still had 221 passing yards against the Packers. Johnny Knox and Devin Hester will get more attention here than they have. Earl Bennett, Greg Olsen and Forte will have opportunities to make big plays.

WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
ON THE GROUND
This should be the biggest test of the season for the Bears' run defense, which leads the NFL (39.7 yards allowed per game). The Giants not only run the ball well, but they won't abandon the run like the Lions, Cowboys and Packers, who averaged 18.7 carries per game. The Giants average 27 carries and have a good 1-2 punch with Ahmad Bradshaw (4.9 yards per carry, 2 TDs) and Brandon Jacobs (3.5 yards per carry). The Bears held the Packers to 63 yards on 15 carries on Monday night. But the Packers had 39 yards on their final five carries. The Bears are stepping up their pass-rush efforts, which might make them vulnerable to the Giants' strong offensive line and running game.

KEY MATCHUP: Bears DTs Toeaina/Adams vs. Giants C Adam Koets
We've seen enough of Julius Peppers to know he's likely to create havoc wherever he lines up. It's what the others do that will make the difference. Toeania (top), Adams or even Tommie Harris have to give the Bears strength up the middle. Koets is starting his second game in place of former Pro Bowler Shaun O'Hara.

IN THE AIR
Though he has been mediocre at best (81.7 rating, 5 TDs, 6 INTs), Eli Manning still is capable of having an excellent game. The Bears, after being frustrated by the escapability of Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers, are looking forward to taking shots at a relatively stationary target. The Bears' pass rush has applied pressure but hasn't been able to put the hammer down. But it might get to finish against Eli. He was sacked only twice when the Giants started 5-0 last season but has been sacked 35 times in 14 games since. But if the Giants get a balanced attack and the Bears can't tee off on Eli, he's got the receivers -- especially Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham -- to make them pay.

X-FACTOR

The Bears might be as dysfunctional as ever, but the Giants are on tilt after back-to-back losses and reportedly in disarray. They committed 11 penalties last week, including six personal fouls, in their 29-10 loss to the Titans. They're missing O'Hara and Kiwanuka and might be without Umenyiora. With Tom Coughlin in charge, there's no telling how the Giants will respond to adversity. The Bears need to be ready to kick a team when it's down.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Bears have a big edge on paper, especially with Devin Hester returning a punt for a TD and nearly breaking another against the Packers last week. That puts even more heat on the Giants, who were contemplating changes on their special teams after a bad start this season. They've already had a punt blocked, and all their return and kicking units are slumping. They're 31st in kickoff returns (average start: 21.5-yard line) and 28th in kickoff coverage (opponents' average start: 30.1-yard line).

Matchups: Bears vs. Giants

Five key matchups that will be pivotal in today’s Bears game against the Packers:

1. Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris vs. Giants center Adam Koets

This matchup is dependent upon the Bears sending Harris back on to the field, but the guess here is that they will. He has thrived in the past after public challenges, and fellow defensive tackle Matt Toeaina didn’t distinguish himself in a start against Green Bay.

2. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler vs. Giants safeties Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips
Rolle and Phillips provide strength and speed in the Giants’ secondary, which has established the No. 4 passing defense in the NFL through the season’s first three weeks. Will Cutler be able to beat the Giants’ safeties on deep throws down the field?

3. Bears punt returner Devin Hester vs. Giants punter Matt Dodge
A rejuvenated Hester might smell fresh meat against Dodge, who is a rookie out of East Carolina. Hester’s 62-yard punt return for a touchdown against Green Bay turned the game around for the Bears. Can he repeat the magic in front of a prime-time audience?

4. Bears cornerback Charles Tillman vs. Giants wide receiver Steve Smith
Smith (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) isn’t the biggest receiver in the NFL, but he made a huge impact with nine receptions for 103 yards last week against Tennessee. The Bears might start free-agent addition Tim Jennings over Zackary Bowman on Tillman’s opposite side.

5. Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz vs. Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell
Bears coach Lovie Smith wanted Fewell to join his coaching staff this winter as defensive coordinator. Instead, Fewell accepted the same job offer with the Giants. Fewell features a 4-3 defense similar to what the Bears run. Will Martz be able to exploit its weaknesses?
– Tom Musick

NFL matchup this am -good jaws breakdown on how knox/hester lining up creates mismatches and to respect speed, can press the safety/cb deep and allow the big plays have seen in dallas/greenbay

Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

I was at Monday night’s game against the Packers and couldn’t help but notice how pumped up Devin Hester got when they played that Soulja Boy song, “Crank That.” Whether that was a factor or not, he had two great punt returns, including one for a TD. They used to play that song when Hester was returning kicks for scores in 2006-07, but hadn’t played it for a while until Monday. What’s the story behind that?
Raymond G.
Bloomington, Indiana
There’s no question that song pumps Devin Hester up. The reason you haven’t heard it the past few years is that the NFL prohibits any music from being played while the play clock is running, which is the case on practically every punt. The Bears used to play Soulja Boy for Hester before kickoffs coming out of a timeout, but he hasn’t returned kickoffs the past few years. Hester actually had a new song picked out for Monday night’s game, but the Bears were utilizing a new system to play music and that song somehow did not get transferred over. So the decision was made to put the Soulja Boy song on when Hester jogged onto the field to return a punt coming out of the two-minute warning just before halftime.

Go Bear!