Chicago Bears -- Week 12 review and Chicago-Arizona preview

This week was a happy week at Halas Hall as the Bears celebrated a 19-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in a game that they were double-digit underdogs. The Bears really surprised a lot of people by winning this game and proved that they can win in any way possible against a team as good as the Broncos. So how did do by offense, defense and special teams? Who were the studs of the game and who were the duds of the game?

How did the Bears win the game? Here is a breakdown.

The Bears essentially had nothing to lose in this game and they played pretty good. They still had their problems however, but the positives outweighed the negatives in this one. First off, Bears kicker Paul Edinger, who had been notorious in the past several weeks for missing field goals that have cost the Bears, wins. Although nothing can replace a win, Edinger did prove that he could be a reliable kicker especially with the conditions that he had to kick in at Denver. On defense, the Bears may have let Denver running back Clinton Portis run for 165 yards, including runs of 59 and 49 yards (108 total yards leaving his having rushed for 57 yards minus those long runs) but they didn't let him get into end zone, which was a big accomplishment. Had the secondary not caught up with Portis, we'd be singing a different tune right now.

The offense wasn't spectacular but it was effective in keeping the ball out of Plummer and Portis hands and as well as not making the bad mistakes that they have made as of late i.e. the interceptions and the fumbles. The offense just played a tighter game and didn't make mistakes. They just simply did what they needed to do to win.

Offense

As stated, the offense did what it had to do to win. The quarterbacks didn't make the mistakes that they had made in previous games. Kordell Stewart took over for Chris Chandler after he suffered a sprained shoulder close to the end of the first half. Prior to his injury, Chandler had completed eight of 18 passes for 79 yards with no interceptions and no touchdowns before he left the game. Stewart came in and completed seven of 15 passes for 47 yards with no touchdowns. However, Kordell used his legs to offer a solid contribution to the Bears effort rushing for 29 yards on eight carries and a touchdown. The touchdown was scored on a 4th and one from the Denver one-foot line. After three previous tries to get in the endzone, Stewart punched the ball over the goal line to give the Bears the lead. Overall, neither quarterback really did anything outstanding but you have to give both Chris Chandler and Kordell Stewart, they didn't give the game away.

Denver's run defense showed its teeth but despite the fact they held Anthony Thomas to a total of 60 yards on 21 carries (107 yards total for the Bears) 60 yards isn't that bad. Stewart was the second leading rusher on the team with 29 yards on eight carries and that one-yard go-ahead touchdown. Other rushers involved in the Bears running game were Stanley Pritchett with two carries for 11 yards, Bobby Wade with 1 carry for four yards and Chris Chandler with one carry for two yards. The Bears rushing attack wasn't at potent as it has been in the past but it was still somewhat effective against a tough Denver run defense.

The Bears receivers weren't used all that much against the Broncos this Sunday. They did, however, help keep the ball moving. One player, who really stood out, but not in a good way, was Dez White. On the Bears first possession, White managed to let a perfectly thrown Chris Chandler pass bounce off of his chest failing to make the completion. White hasn't had a spectacular season and he does make plays from time to time but he has also made some good plays so far this season. All told, Marty Booker led the Bears in yardage with 43 yards on four receptions. The ever-reliable Desmond Clark also had four receptions for 33 yards. Stanley Pritchett had four receptions for 21yards while David Terrell had two catches for 14 yards and Dez White had one catch for 15 yards. It's too bad this group didn't become more active than they did.

The offensive line provided some protection for the quarterback and did fair against the Broncos defensive line in blocking for the run. They did give up two sacks on the day but otherwise fared pretty well.

Defense

This is where the Bears were the most successful. As stated, they might have allowed Clinton Portis to gain 165 yards but most of those yards came on huge chunks of yardage and they did not allow Portis to get into the endzone which was a big key to winning the game. All told, the Bears allowed the Broncos to gain 221 yards rushing and pass for 176 yards on the day. As well know, the first line of defense against any rushing or passing attack begins with the defensive line. On this day, the defensive line did pressure Jake Plummer, to an extent, and helped to keep him out of his rhythm. Keith Traylor, Alex Brown and Phillip Daniels each batted down a Jake Plummer pass which really helped the Bears keep Plummer under control and throw off his timing and keep him rattled. Even though the play wasn't stellar, it was still pretty effective.

The linebackers had an up and down day against the Broncos offense. On the downside, they did allow Clinton Portis to break out of the box for long runs after failing to tackle him. Lance Briggs had an offsides penalty called against him during game, which constituted his second in two games. He did have one pass defended and he had a big hit on Bronco's receiver Rod Smith (it even made the highlight reels on ESPN). Brian Urlacher also had a big hit that was delivered on him by Clinton Portis (that one made the ESPN highlights as well) and it appeared as if Urlacher had almost lost consciousness. He did come back in two plays later and played well the rest of the game leading the team in tackles with 13. Overall, Urlacher played a pretty good game. Holman was blocked out of a few plays, rendering him ineffective, but he did get some pressure on Jake Plummer that forced an incomplete pass.

The defensive backs became the stars of the defense in this game. What was most impressive is that the secondary recorded two sacks in the game, one by Charles Tillman and one by Bobby Gray. Tillman also recorded six tackles and had one pass defended coming on the Broncos final drive to end the game and any hopes of a comeback. Jerry Azumah almost cost the Bears a score when he let Bronco's receiver Ed McCaffery beat him deep. Luckily McCaffery did not catch that pass. R.W. McQuarters jumped off sides on a play that was originally a third and four giving the Broncos a first down and was the only person in the secondary to get beat for a score. Mike Brown had three tackles and tackled Clinton Portis on one of his long runs and apparently hit him hard enough to hurt him slightly. It was a great play on Brown's behalf. This was a good day for the Bears secondary, as they made few big plays and didn't allow many mistakes.

Special teams won the game for the Bears hands down. Paul Edinger finally got out of the slump that he had been in over the past two games and kicked four field goals, including 54 yarder, which tied a career long for him. At any rate, it was his 12 points, which really won the game for Chicago. You also have to give a lot of credit to the Bears return men, who set the Bears up with some great field position allowing them to score on some short drives. Jerry Azumah, a very valuable player in this area, returned a kickoff 51 yards to set the Bears up with good field position. All told, Azumah had four kick returns for 116 yards on the afternoon, which was pretty good. Punter Brad Maynard did manage to land some punts in good position to pin the Broncos back deep on their own side of the field. This was clearly the best unit on the field for the Bears on Sunday.

Player of the Game

If I had to pick one player who really stood out in this game, I would have to choose Paul Edinger. Edinger came through against the Broncos, kicking four field goals, which in essence gave the Bears the win. This certainly doesn't make up for the fact that Edinger was a major factor in the Bears losses against the Lions and the Rams but still, at least he finally came through for this game. So, my player of the game this past Sunday was Paul Edinger.

End Notes Broncos v. Bears

The Bears had no turnovers in the game for only the second time this season. On the other hand, the Broncos didn't have any either but the Bears still won the game. There were a two fumbles that were recovered.

Dick Jauron has stated that Chris Chandler, if healthy, would start the game against the Arizona Cardinals despite the fact he played a pretty good game against the Broncos. Jauron said he had admired Stewart's play, especially since he was so well prepared to come in, but he stated that Chandler would remain the Bear's starter.

Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals come into Chicago this weekend and they are having a typical Cardinals year. Arizona is 3-8 so far this season and hasn't been very impressive to say the least. They did play a close game with the Rams last week (who had met the Bears the week before) but ended up losing. Cardinals quarterback Jeff Blake rallied the Cardinals from a 14-point deficit to take the lead against the Rams but in the end, the Cardinals lost 30-27 in overtime.

There have been a few instances this year where the Cardinals offense has really shown some signs of greatness. Currently, the Cardinals offense is ranked 24th in rushing, 19th in passing and 25th in overall offense. Those numbers might not appear to be too good, but one must take into consideration that they have a receiver, Anquan Boldin who is almost at 1000 yards receiving for the year, and a runner, Marcel Shipp who gained some good yardage this so far this season (628 yards) subbing for Emmitt Smith. However, Shipp is suffering from some injuries and may not be that effective. Speaking of Smith, he will be back in uniform for this game but he will not start. Smith isn't that much of factor anymore anyway.

Cardinals quarterback Jeff Blake has thrown for over 2000 yards and 13 touchdowns so far this season. He has also thrown 12 interceptions. Blake is not a superstar quarterback but he is effective and might give the Bears some problems on Sunday.

The Cardinals defense hasn't been as bad as everyone would think they are. At this time, their defense is ranked 12th against the run, 27th against the pass for an overall ranking of 20th in the NFL. As seen, the Cardinals run defense is pretty good so the Bears will have their work cut out for them again this week. The Cardinals are allowing an average of just 105 rushing per game. Once again, the Bears will have to make an attempt to establish the ground game because their passing game is pretty week. As of this week, the Bears passing game is ranked 31st in the league with Chicago averaging just 143 yards passing. Something needs to happen with the Bears passing attack in order for them to stay close and they should be able to do something against the 27th ranked Cardinals defense. However, they still need to try to establish a running game in this one.

A good matchup to watch will be Bears cornerback Charles Tillman against Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. Both are rookies and both are having outstanding rookie seasons. Tillman has really come along well this season and has passed many tests along the way. Boldin is a dangerous wideout with good speed and great hands. As far as who has the size advantage in this matchup, Tillman is 6-1, 207 whereas Boldin is 6-1, 216. As you can see, Tillman has an inch on Boldin and sometimes that can make all the difference in the world. Tillman is also a more aggressive player than Boldin so the matchup should be a good one to watch this Sunday.

Another good battle will take place between the Bears offensive line and the Cardinals defensive line. This is had better be a battle that the Bears offensive line wins if they want to win this game. On the season, the Cardinals defensive line has 11 sacks, which is low. The Bears offensive line should be able to keep the quarterback protected well enough that he should have time to complete a pass. Let's just hope that Chris Chandler can complete a pass.

With Marcel Shipp banged up and Emmitt Smith coming back from a serious injury, the Cardinals running game might not be too much of a factor this Sunday although weather might dictate otherwise. The forecast is calling for a high in the upper 40s that day with winds at about 5 to 10 miles per hour. However, that could change over the next few days and it could soon become real Bear weather. If this happens, each team will really want to get ball on the ground and pound it out. This might be a problem for both teams as the Cardinals have some injured running backs and their rushing defense is tough so the Bears might have to force the ground game or try to work through the air.

This might be another game that the Bears will have to rely on kicker Paul Edinger to score a lot points in this game if the offense stalls as it did last week against the Broncos. Hopefully, Edinger is as on target as he was last week against Denver because it might come down a field goal in order for the Bears to win this game.

This one is a match up of two teams who are almost equal. I give the Bears the edge because of their defense, especially the secondary and the fact that they are playing at home this weekend. It won't be easy, but I think the Bears will win.