Joe’s Gameday Preview: Bears at Bengals

At 3-2, my Chicago Bears are in better shape than I would have predicted going into the season. That being said, I’ll still be upset if they lose in Cincinnati Sunday afternoon. Despite holding a lead in the AFC North, the Bengals are a beatable team. Let’s get right down to it in my Gameday Preview! 

On defense, the Bears will be without defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who will likely be inactive with a knee injury. Yes, that same knee injury he’s been bothered by for years. Ever since Harris signed that contract extension, he’s failed to be healthy enough to earn his money. Second year player Marcus Harrison will either slide over to Harris’ spot with Anthony Adams at NT or see more time in the nose tackle slot himself. Further along the defensive line, we should see the debut of Gaines Adams, for whom the Bears recently traded a second-round pick to the Buccaneers. It’s still unclear how much Adams will play, but any contribution will be a welcome one. 

Despite owning the 12^th ranked offense in the league, the Bengals are only averaging 19 points a game. (Which actually equals how much the Bears are giving up per game.) They’re extremely balanced, thanks to ex-Bear Cedric Benson’s re-emergence at the running back position. However, they are not the explosive offense of a few years ago before QB Carson Palmer’s leg injury. That team had no defense whatsoever but put up 35 points with ease.  

Wide-out Chad Ochocinco (I hate typing that) missed a bit of practice this week with a hip issue, but it expected to play in and tweet trash after the game. Not that I would know, I would never follow his tweets or buy his freakin’ iPhone app. Charles Tillman should see plenty of Chad this Sunday and should get the better of that match-up. Ochocinco isn’t as fast as he once was. Still, the defense should be able to stifle Benson enough to make the Bengals one-dimensional. Of course, that will be an easier task if Jay Cutler and the offense jump out to an early lead.

Cincinnati’s defense is rated 22^nd overall, giving up over 350 yards a game, most of which coming through the air. Still, they only give up 19.7 points a game (noticing a trend?), which mean Marvin Lewis is perfecting the “bend but don’t break” defensive scheme. Cutler’s Bears are putting up close to 24 points a contest, so if the averages hold true, Chicago should escape this one with a victory. But nobody wins a single game on paper.  

Receivers Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox need to establish themselves as dangerous downfield threats so they can take coverage away from Greg Olsen and free up Matt Forte and the running game. Without pass-rusher Antwan Odom, who was lost for the season with an Achilles tear, the Bengals are going to struggle to get to the quarterback. If Jay Cutler gets enough protection from his O-line, he can put up points in a hurry.

Side note: I'm a little bugged that Benson thinks the Bears bad-mouthed him to other NFL teams. You know why most teams probably weren't interested in you Cedric? Because you were arrested twice as well as a freaking bust here despite our giving you the starting job and trading away Thomas Jones after a Super Bowl run. Decent running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL, and you weren't any better. Way to make the most out of your current opportunity, but stop looking backward at a team that would have loved for you to succeed. Jerk.