Resurgent Seahawks look to end Bears playoff dreams on Sunday – NFL Preview Week 15
A resurgent Seattle Seahawks side face off against Chicago Bears who are near to hitting rock bottom after what promised to become a great campaign in Sunday’s week 15 encounter at the Soldier Field.
Chicago Bears (7-6) have lost three games in a row including two disappointing defeats to Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. Both games saw a Bears offense that looked out of its depth without the attacking talent of quarterback
Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte.
Against Denver Broncos, the Bears looked like they had found some of their earlier spark containing Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and taking a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter. Yet mistakes from running back Marion Barber saw the
Bears throw away their lead in spectacular fashion with Broncos led by Tebow making an audacious comeback to win 13-10 in overtime.
"Just stunned, I would say would be the best word to put it," tight end Matt Spaeth said. "Nobody thought we would have lost that game the way we did."
Once the Bears looked shoo-ins for making the playoffs over their National Football Conference North division rivals, now however, the Bears need to win on Sunday if they want to retain any hopes of making the playoffs. How the
mighty have fallen!!
"At 7-6 we're on the outside looking in. You lose three in a row this time of year, you are normally not in a great position," Coach Lovie Smith said. "But we are in position still. And that's what we have to keep in mind. We have
to get a win. The Seattle game was an important game, no matter what happened (last Sunday)."
The Bears will hope that replacement quarterback Caleb Hanie finds some form against Seattle. The quarterback has failed to create a passing touchdown in his last two games with the offense scoring just 13 points in their last
two games. The Bears defence once regarded as the best in the league will also have to step up and contribute if the franchise wants to make it to the playoffs.
Seattle Seahawks on the other hand are peaking at just the right time. Going 2-6 in the early weeks of the 2011 season the Seahawks have lost just one of their last five games for a 6-7 record. With an outside chance of trumping
both Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons to the NFC wildcard spot the Seahawks will be pumped up to win against a lost Chicago Bears side.
The NFC West franchise will look to running back Marshawn Lynch to provide the offensive momentum against a Bears defence that has been generous to opposing teams during their three game losing streak.
Lynch has scored a touchdown in his previous nine games and with Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson improving as the team continues its rise from the ashes, the Seahawks have a great opportunity to stamp themselves as serious
contenders for the NFC wildcard spots.
It will be tough to call a winner as both teams are evenly matched but Seahawks are full of confidence and that might just give the franchise an edge over Chicago Bears.
Tags: