Bears at Giants Preview
The Chicago Bears at the New York Giants
This week’s column will be unfortunately brief (and late) due to some on-going work non-sense. Who needs to work anyway? Football is life, what am I doing for 8 hours a day? Anyway . . .
This weeks match-up, with playoff implications for both teams, is important to both teams, but for different reasons.
The New York Giants have seemed to be one of the strongest NFC contenders for a wild card spot all season, assuming that they don’t catch up to the 10-1 Dallas Cowboys. They started off the season slow with an 0-2 start but raced off to a five-win streak that ended with a match-up against the Cowboys. The Giants wins this season come against the Redskins, Eagles, Jets, Falcons, 49ers, Dolphins, and Detroit. None of these teams are considered elite and point-of-fact, four of them are vying for worst team in the NFL. So, while there seven wins look impressive their overall play has not been. Point-of-fact, this is a redemption game for the New York Giants who look to proof that last weeks embarrassing loss to the Minnesota (less Adrian Peterson) Vikings at 41-17 was just a fluke, and not emblematic of a playoff pretender. The Giants have seemed to follow the same trend of the past few seasons under the direction of Eli Manning. The trend starts with Manning starting off hot, numerous media comparisons to Peyton, and assertions that this is Eli’s breakout year. But it seems to end with a un-Peytonesque melt down by the younger brother at the end of the season that puts the team in a downward spiral. If the Vikings smashing win was any indication, history may be repeating itself.
The Bears have been at odds with themselves all season. Underwhelming play and inconsistency mark the season, and is the primary reason for the Bears disappointing 5-6 record. But, in the NFL, you get what you deserve. The Bears are a 5-6 team and fans and media need to get off the Superbowl-caliber rhetoric. That being said, the Bears are doing their best to reel off some wins at the end of the season and make a problematic playoff push that can possibly save some players’ jobs in the offseason that will likely be cut as a result of the 2007 implosion. Lovie Smith has charged the team with finishing the season on a six-game win streak. Can they do it? That will be the on-going question that will be asked Sunday, as the Bears produced the first win of the (hopeful) streak last week in a come from behind victory against the Denver Broncos. Was this win a sign of things to come as the Bears dig deep to produce some wins along with Devin Hester’s highlights?
Goose’s Go-Ahead
Make no mistake that both teams can win this game, and I suggest that there should be even money here. Key factors to the game will the New York’s homefield advantage, the Giants superb pass rush combo, the Giants beat up and under-experienced secondary, the loss of Cedric Benson, Rex Grossman’s pocket presence, the Chicago’s offensive line pass protection/run blocking, and field position. When it’s all said and done the one person that we know has ALREADY created a positive position for the Chicago Bear’s is Devin Hester. Teams have been wary to kick to him all season and Denver’s mistakes last week will pay dividends for the Bears this week. The Giants will avoid kicking the second-year phenom at all costs. Kick-offs will likely be returned to at least the 40-yard line due to either penalty or squib kicks to the up men. Punts will likely be shanked as much possible. By the way, Jeff Feagles’ in on a streak of 377 punts without a return TD, one of the longest in NFL history. So, you know that he will do everything in his power to extend that streak. Special teams are a key part of the Bears game plans, obviously, and should provide the edge this week. Grossman’s struggles are well documented. But, a shortened field all day will provide him with enough opportunities to drive his field into scoring position. The Bears defense, while not great, is still steady and should hold their own. Because in the game of field position, if one team has a short field, the other team has a long one. Look for some turnover potential too as I think that Eli will continue his melt down, and not really care either way.
Bears 20 Giants 17