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Posted: Friday, 06 November 2009 5:33PM
Jeff Joniak's Keys To The Game
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KEYS TO THE GAME
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CHICAGO BEARS
Offense: Reduce mental mistakes
Here’s hoping the Bears take it from the practice field to the playing field. From route running, to blocking assignments, to blitz pickup, to snap count, to hot reads, to pre and post snap adjustments, the Bears have to be mentally ready and mentally tough against the Cardinals. Fewer mistakes translate into better field position, first downs, and touchdowns. In terms of personnel, the Bears have to account for DT Darnell Dockett, S Adrian Wilson, LB Karlos Dansby, and defensive backs Antrel Rolle and Bryant McFadden. Rolle has 3 interceptions, McFadden according to Arizona’s coaches has broken up 21 passes.
Defense: Aggressive Pressure
Alex Brown snapped a team streak of 77 pass drops without a sack by the Bears, when he dropped Derek Anderson. He bagged 4-sacks five years ago against Kurt Warner when he played for the NY Giants. Warner is a statue in the pocket for an Arizona team that throws it 66% of the time. His lack of mobility creates a weakness the Bears can exploit. Hurried throws zap his arm strength and accuracy. Last week, Carolina pressured Warner into six turnovers.
Special Teams: Remain focused
Everything clicked on special teams against the top ranked Cleveland unit, and delivering an encore performance against 5th ranked Arizona is important. Coverage units excelled in shutting down Josh Cribbs, and Sunday they have to deal with dangerous Steve Breaston on punts and 5’7” rookie LaRod Stephens-Howling on kicks. Last Sunday against the Panthers, the little guy from Pitt returned a kick 53-yards. On the flip side, Arizona is 25th in punt coverage---while Devin Hester has doubled his return average from a year ago to 12.5. He’s close to breaking one. Dave Toub’s unit jumped from fifth to third after the performance against Cleveland.
Intangibles: Time Crunch
Arizona is a mountain time zone team headed to the Midwest for Sunday’s noon kickoff…this is an intangible the Bears can use to their advantage. A two-hour time difference may not seem like a big deal, but it is for creatures of habit. The clock will say Noon, but the body clock will say 10AM for the Cardinals. They’ll be getting out of bed to play football earlier than they are used to, which could create an opportunity for a Bears team ready to pounce on a sluggish opponent.
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