New England Patriots ready for Chicago Bears
The New England Patriots are going up against one of the premier defences of the NFL for the second straight week. Monday Night the Patriots virtually destroyed the New York Jets’ defence with Tom Brady leading the attack. After beating the Jets 45-3, the
Patriots now have the sole ownership of the AFC East and are tied with the Atlanta Falcons (10-2) for the number one spot in the league.
This Sunday the Patriots would look for a repeat of last week’s performance and their opponents are once again division leaders, Chicago Bears. The Bears trail a game behind the Atlanta Falcons at 9-3 and lead their division ahead of 8-4 Green Bay Packers.
Chicago will face the Packers in the last game of the season after facing the Jets. In these three games the NFC North title could very well be decided.
“We can't be satisfied with where we are right now,” Chicago’s quarterback Jay Cutler said after defeating the Detroit Lions 24-20 this Sunday. Detroit gave the Bears a run for their money in the first half of the game as their offense raked in over 250
yards. In the second half the Bears took back control of the game and limited the Lions to just 49 yards and took back the lead to win the game.
The Bears have an excellent defence and it showed in the second half of the game against Detroit. They are a side that has relied more on defence then offense. They have conceded just 16 yards on average over the whole season which is the 3rd
lowest points average allowed in the league. They rank 3rd in terms of total yards, 13th in protecting the pass and 2nd in stopping the rush.
The strength of their offense just simply does not compare. However Jay Cutler has shown remarkable improvement over the last few weeks. In the first 10 games, Cutler was intercepted 10 times and threw just 12 touchdowns. In the last two games he raised
his interceptions total to 17 and has thrown no more interceptions. The Bears have been unable to properly protect the quarterback. Cutler has been sacked 41 times in 12 games. The pressure forced on him has been part of the reason why Cutler threw as many
interceptions as he did.
However the protection improved and more importantly, Cutler improved. It was Cutler’s 4 touchdowns that enabled the Bears to beat the offensive powerhouse, Philadelphia Eagles. In both of Cutler’s previous games his passer ratings were well above 100. In
fact the Bear have not yet lost a game in which Cutler’s passer ratings edged over the 100 mark. Cutler could prove to be a threat against the New England’s terrible pass defence. If he can keep making magic happen for the Bears offensively, the strength of
Bears defence.
That won’t be an easy task though. The Bears are up against one of the most dangerous and efficient offences of the league. With 31 points on average over the season the Patriots stand alone at the top of the league with the highest scoring average. The
individual components of their offense are deceptively average. 11th best passing side, 13th best rushing side but overall it is the most effective offense. They are a side that does not make mistakes.
Their defence does not produce as many turnovers but still the Patriots have a turnover ratio of +14. The Patriots just don’t give up the ball. Brady has not thrown a single interception since week 6 of the season. He has since scored or thrown 17 touchdown
passes. The Patriots have not committed a turnover in the last 4 games and scored more than 30 points in each.
“It's not shocking because we have a great offense,” tight end Aaron Hernandez said. “We have so many weapons. It's hard to stop an offense like this.” It might not be shocking but if you are one of Chicago’s defenders, it is daunting. If anyone can put
a stop to the Patriots offensive run, the Bears can too.
Even with 15 interceptions and 12 fumbled balls the Bears have a turnover ratio of +3. It would be a test of one of the best defences against one of the best offenses, not unlike the Bears VS Eagles game which Chicago won. Considering the phenomenal run
the Patriots have had so far, they are the favourites for Sunday but Cutler could tip the scales in favour of Chicago if he breathes life into the offense again.
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