•RECKLESS ABANDON: Attitude will factor in the outcome of this game.
If the Bears want to be a playoff team, they need to play with reckless abandon on every snap. Anything less than full effort from the players to the coaches then they are cheating themselves out of a great opportunity.
NFL December’s separate the pretenders from the contenders. We will all find out what the Bears ultimately want to be in 2008.
•CONSISTENT FOCUS: Playing four quarters with ferocious focus and mental toughness could set the table for the final month of the regular season.
It makes no sense to worry about Minnesota. That ship has sailed.
The Bears cannot win four games Sunday; they only have to worry about winning one.
•NO SLEEPING AT THE WHEEL: A Bears defense driven to stop the run, must not have a mental lapse against Jacksonville. Fred Taylor, 32, and Maurice Jones-Drew, 23, are a dangerous duo out of the backfield. They have combined for more than 1000-yards rushing and 58 receptions.
They get more than half of their yards after contact and both are in the league’s top 10 in broken tackles. Jones-Drew (5’7”, 208) in particular is a pinball tackle-breaker. They are not afraid to adlib their runs working behind a struggling offensive line.
•RENEWABLE ENERGY: Recycling the offense back to its early season form requires more attention to detail in the passing game.
Everybody needs to step up and give Kyle Orton something to work with. He is not getting enough help from his receivers. They have to run better routes, defeat press coverage, hang on to the ball, and make plays.
The December playoff drive will stall with another rash of missed opportunities.
Jacksonville’s best cornerback Rashean Mathis(25 career interceptions) is out for the season. Opportunities will be available to make plays. Matt Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger, and Kerry Collins all threw three touchdowns against the Jaguars and five quarterbacks have penciled in 100.0+ quarterback ratings.
•TAKE THE BALL AWAY: The NFL leaders in takeaways with 26, the Bears have to continue to crank up the heat on Jacksonville.
It starts with collapsing the pocket and pressuring quarterback David Garrard. He is thick, sturdy, and can run away from trouble. After throwing only three interceptions last season, he has thrown nine on 390 attempts this season.
He has big targets like 6’6” Matt Jones, 6’4” Reggie Williams, 6’6” Mercedes Lewis, and a pair of 6’8” tight ends. If the Bears do not take the ball away, they have to get off the field on third down.
This Jacksonville outfit ranks fifth in the league in controlling the clock(31:50) and fifth in average length of scoring drives(8.6 plays). They had an 18-play drive against the Colts this season that chewed up twelve minutes and eighteen seconds. This is a patient, chain-moving offense.
•USE MOTHER NATURE: It will be a typical cold December day along the lakefront.
In the past, teams like Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and even Green Bay last season have come into Soldier Field and had no interest in dealing with the elements.
It is not something the Bears can count on, but the best way to use the conditions to their advantage would be to start fast and build a big lead.
The Jaguars won a road playoff game in Pittsburgh in January, but injuries along the offensive line and eight losses in twelve games has ruined their season.
Get them thinking about going home instead of winning.
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