This should be a good hard hitting football game to end play on Sunday in the NFL.  The Eagles will probably come out throwing against the Bears who are allowing 249.7 yards passing per game this season.  Look for Donovan McNabb to spread the ball around so that the Bears can’t focus on stopping any one receiver.  The Bears will need to blitz McNabb or they will be at his mercy as WRs Desean Jackson, Hank Baskett and Greg Lewis are all off to good starts this season.  It’s up in the air as to whether or not Brian Westbrook will be available or not in this game but Correll Buckhalter is a very capable replacement for him both catching and running the football.  The Bears do have one of the best run defenses in the NFL so far this season holding their opponents to only 71.3 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry.

The Bears are conservative on offense but that might change tonight as the Eagles will gang up to stop rookie RB Matt Forte.  The Bears are averaging 152.0 yards rushing per game this season but the Eagles are only allowing 45.7 yards rushing per game and 2.4 yards per carry so something has to give here.  If the Bears have trouble running the football they will be in deep trouble against a Eagles’ defense that already has 13 sacks this season. 

PREDICTION:  PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 24, CHICAGO BEARS 13

The Bears have finally given up on WR Mark Bradley releasing him earlier this week.  He just couldn’t stay healthy enough to live up to his ability.  He played in 2 games for the Bears this season and he didn’t catch any passes.  He finishes his career with the Bears having played in 34 games (4 starts) in which he caught 38 passes for 583 yards (15.3 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Losing Bradley won’t likely come back to haunt the Bears as he is probably to injury prone to get another chance in the NFL.

The Bears played a great game for 3 3/4 quarters before blowing it at the end.  Brian Griese led a 11 play, 79 yard drive to tie the football game up with 7 seconds left to go.  Then he led the Buccaneers on a 12 play, 90-yard drive in OT to set up a 21-yard Matt Bryant field goal to end the game.  Kyle Orton was so-so in this game as he completed 22 of 34 passes for 268 yards with 2 TD passes and 2 interceptions (one was returned for a TD by Gaines Adams (45 yards)).   Matt Forte continued his solid play this season with 89 yards rushing on 27 carries (3.3 ypc) and he also caught 7 passes for 66 yards (9.4 avg) with a TD grab.  Brandon Lloyd also had a fantasic game as he caught 6 passes for 124 yards (20.7 avg) with a TD grab.  He also caught a pass from Kyle Orton for a 2-point conversion.  The Bears finished up with 158 yards rushing on 37 carries (4.3 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 34 passes for 247 yards.

The defense played pretty well for the Bears until the final half of the 4th quarter and the O.T. period.  CB Charles Tillman led the way for the Bears on defense with 11 tackles.  CB Corey Graham pitched in with 7 tackles.  S Kevin Payne, LB Lance Briggs and CB Nathan Vasher each intercepted a pass against their old teammate Brian Griese.  The Bucs finished up with 47 yards rushing on 17 carries (2.8 ypc) and they completed 38 of 67 passes for 407 yards.  The Bears fall to 1-2 on the season after this disappointing loss.

This game has the looks of a defensive slugfest.  The Buccaneers will be given Brian Griese his 2nd start of the season against the team he played for last season.  Without WR Joey Galloway playing tomorrow the Bucs will likely lean more on the running game which would be smart on there part as they are averaging 155.0 yards rushing and 6.5 ypc this season.  Earnest Graham has been an absolute beast this season rushing for 207 yards on 25 carries (8.3 ypc) and Warrick Dunn seems to have found the Fountain of Youth (103 yards rushing, 4.9 ypc) but yards won’t come easy against Brian Urlacher and his buddies who are only allowing 83.5 yards rushing per game and 3.6 ypc.  Look for the Bucs to use their TEs and RBs a lot more in this game when throwing the ball than usual as they don’t have a legit deep threat playing in this game.

The Bears are going to do what they always do and that’s run the football.  Rookie Matt Forte has been excellent this season (215 yards rushing, 4.7 ypc) but he will have a tough task finding yards against a defense that is only allowing 103.0 yards rushing per game and 3.7 ypc.  The Bears will likely be without KR/WR Devin Hester in this game so don’t expect the Bears to get many big plays off special teams.  That means that they will have to take the training wheels off of QB Kyle Orton and let him throw the ball downfield against a Bucs’ defense that is allowing 250.5 yards passing per game this season.

PREDICTION:  TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 17, CHICAGO BEARS 16

The Bears have lost safety Brandon McGowan for the season as he needs ankle surgery.  McGowan played in both games (1 start) for the Bears this season and he made 4 tackles and defensed a pass.  McGowan has played in 25 games (13 starts) in his NFL career and he has made 105 tackles, defensed 1 pass and he has 2 interceptions.  2nd year DB Kevin Payne will start at strong safety for the Bears now.  He has started both games for the Bears this season and he has made 8 tackles.  Payne has played in 5 games (3 starts) in his NFL career and he has made 10 tackles.  If Payne can stay healthy the Bears likely won’t miss McGowan too much.

The defense and special teams played well enough for the Bears to win this game but the offense didn’t help it.  CB Charles Tillman led the way for the Bears’ Defense with 6 tackles and 1 interception.  Safety Kevin Payne and linebacker Lance Briggs each pitched in with 6 tackles apiece.  The Panthers finished up with 114 yards rushing on 31 carries (3.7 ypc) and they also completed 12 of 21 passes for 102 yards. 

Kyle Orton was just managing the game as usual as he completed 19 of 32 passes for 149 yards.  Rookie RB Matt Forte had another solid game with 92 yards rushing on 23 carries (4.0 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 21 yards.  WR Brandon Lloyd led the Bears in the passing game with 66 yards receiving on 5 catches (13.2 avg) and he also returned a blocked punt 9 yards for a TD.  TE Greg Olson had a game to forget for the Bears as he caught 2 passes for 7 yards (3.5 avg) but he lost fumbles on both catches.  The Bears finished up with 115 yards rushing on 29 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 32 passes for 141 yards.  The Bears are now 1-1 on the season.

This game will pit two teams that came up with huge road upsets last week as Chicago pounded the Colts 29-13 and Carolina beat the Chargers 26-24 on the last play of the football game.  The Bears will try to again control the football and play it safe on offense.  Matt Forte (123 yards rushing) and Kevin Jones (45 yards rushing) will both probably have huge workloads in this football game.  Linebacker Jon Beason of the Panthers has the ability to shut down the running game of the Bears as he led a inspired defense last week that did a solid job against LaDainian Tomlinson.  Kyle Orton is a game manager type of QB who will just try to not make mistakes with the football.  That is a shame because the Chargers did throw well against the Panthers last week but the Bears don’t have the WRs to take advantage of that weakness.  TEs Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen appear to be Orton’s targets of choice so the safeties of the Panthers will likely be busy.

The Panthers would like to jump on the Bears quick with the passing game and then grind out the win on the ground with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.  The Panthers only have one downfield threat right now until Steve Smith returns next week so D.J. Hackett will have to handle the long stuff.  Mushin Muhammad would like to sting his old team but he just doesn’t have the wheels to get down the field anymore.  TE Dante Rosario had a huge game last week for the Panthers catching 7 passes for 96 yards (13.7 avg) with a TD so the Bears’ safeties (Mike Brown and Kevin Payne) will have to watch him closely.  DeAngelo Williams (86 yards rushing) and Jonathan Stewart (53 yards rushing) led a running attack that rolled up 142 yards rushing last week against the Chargers.  But, the interior of the Bears’ Defense is better than the Chargers as Brian Urlacher will be chasing these guys tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  CAROLINA PANTHERS 20, CHICAGO BEARS 17

The Chicago Bears shocked the world on Sunday Night Football by destroying the Colts in Indy.  Kyle Orton did a solid job of managing the offense as he completed 13 of 21 passes for 150 yards.  He also had 1 carry for 10 yards.  Rookie RB Matt Forte was the star of the show for the Bears in this game as he carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards (5.3 ypc) with a 50-yard TD run.  He also pitched in with 3 catches for 18 yards.  Kevin Jones also got in on the action with 45 yards rushing on 13 carries (3.5 ypc).  The Bears finished up this game with 183 yards rushing on 39 carries (4.7 ypc) and they also completed 13 of 21 passes for 136 yards.

The Bears’ Defense was outstanding against the Colts.  Linebackers Brian Urlacher (8 tackles) and Lance Briggs (8 tackles, 21-yard TD on fumble recovery) led the way for the Bears in this game.  DE Adewale Ogunleye pitched in with 6 tackles and he also tackled RB Joseph Addai in the Colts’ end zone for a safety.  The Colts finished up with only 53 yards rushing on 15 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 30 of 49 passes for 240 yards.  This is the kind of victory that can build momentum.

The Chicago Bears’ offense is likely to be a mess in 2008 and this matchup is a nightmare for them.  Kyle Orton is a game manager but the Bears don’t match up well against the speedy Colts’ defense.  Rookie RB Matt Forte will be the Bears player that touches the football the most besides Kyle Orton in this football game but middle linebacker Gary Brackett will be chasing him all over the place.  The Bears will likely try to throw the ball often to TEs Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen so safeties Antoine Bethea and Bob Sanders will both be busy and they are playmakers.  The Bears want to try to get the ball down the field to Devin Hester but CBs Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden will likely give him trouble.

The Colts would like to mix it up on offense but it might be hard to run the ball against the Bears.  Joseph Addai is a solid running back but linebackers Brian Urlacher, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Lance Briggs are all excellent run defenders.  The Bears must get a good pass rush against Peyton Manning and his gimpy knee or he will pick them apart.  CBs Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman are playmakers but Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison are elite WRs.  Throw in Anthony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark and the Bears’ defense will likely be in some trouble in this game.

PREDICTION:  INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 24, CHICAGO BEARS 14

I can’t see any reason to recommend taking the Bears to win more than 8 games.  They have the same lousy QBs that they did last season and they have running backs who are not the most talented guys around.  Special teams and defense will not be enough to carry the Bears to a winning record in 2008.