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Tale of the tape

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Week 13: Seattle Seahawks At Chicago Bears

Seahawks

Bears

Russell Wilson is learning on the job and makes quite a few mistakes, but he is solid quarterback for a rookie. However, he tends to play much better at home than he does on the road. Even though he threw two TDs and did not have a pick at Miami, he is not quite as decisive away from home. That’s a problem when you face takeaway-oriented defense like Chicago’s.	Quarterback	Jay Cutler responded well after returning from his concussion. He moved well in the pocket, found his open receivers and fired the ball to his receivers. When Cutler can step into his throws, throws one of the best medium-range passes in the NFL. However, when he throws off his back foot, he makes a lot of mistakes.
The Seahawks will want to establish Marshawn Lynch and their running game against the Bears defense. It will be a very difficult assignment, because the Bears will make it a point to take away Seattle’s best offensive attribute. Sidney Rice can threaten the Bears’ secondary, but Wilson will need time to get him the ball downfield.	Offense	The Bears want to get the ball to running back Matt Forte as a runner and receiver, but he suffered an ankle injury in Week 12 against the Vikings. He may be limited in this game. Michael Bush is a solid backup but he is not as versatile as Forte. Cutler wants to get the ball to Brandon Marshall. He can carry the Bears’ passing game because he can almost always defeat one-on-one coverage.
The Seahawks are aggressive on defense and will come after Cutler with a solid pass rush. Defensive end Chris Clemons is the team’s best pass rusher. He has 8.0 sacks this season and he will try to feast on the Bears’ vulnerable offensive tackles. Rookie middle linebacker had nine tackles and an interception against Miami.	Defense	The Bears responded well after getting pushed around by the 49ers in Week 11. They punished the Vikings and bounced back with another stellar performance. Big-play cornerback Charles Tillman suffered an ankle injury against the Vikings and his absence would be a huge loss for Lovie Smith’s team. Defensive end Julius Peppers is not having an impressive statistical year, but he still commands double-team blocking.
Leon Washington returned a kickoff for a touchdown that gave the Seahawks a second-half lead over the Dolphins, but his team could not hold that advantage. Placekicker Steven Hauschka has been solid but not spectacular, making 15-of-18 field goal attempts.	Special Teams	Return specialist Devin Hester suffered a concussion against the Vikings and he may not be allowed to play in this game. Placekicker Robbie Gould usually excels in the windy environment of Soldier Field. The Bears have not been thrilled with punter Adam Podlesh, but he has responded with two strong games.

The winner is

Bears

3 out of 4

The Bears know how to defend their home turf, especially when they are not playing the elite teams in the league. Chicago plays much better offense when Cutler is in the lineup and he was sharp vs. the Vikings. Wilson has the skills to be a good leader, but he is much better at home than he is on the road.

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