[CBFF] A Nice Game Analisys

[Steve Behrens]

 NFL Preview - San Francisco (2-4) At Chicago (6-0)

POSTED: 11:09 am PDT October 26, 2006

*By Tony Moss, NFL Editor -- *(Sports Network) - Those that remember the
1985 Chicago Bears typically exercise caution when comparing others to them.


Mike Ditka's 1985 team rolled through the campaign at 15-1, outscored three
playoff opponents by a composite score of 91-10, and boasted indisputable
legends like Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, and Richard Dent.

The '85 Bears were so dominant, such an unstoppable force with such an
incomparable confluence of talent, that ranking another team in their class
seems like a sacrilege to many.

Right or wrong, if the 2006 edition of the Chicago Bears can knock out the
San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon, the comparisons
will begin in earnest. Lovie Smith's latest group of Monsters of the Midway
would become the first Bears team since '85 to begin 7-0 if they can only
top a Niners club that is something far less than elite.

Chicago's Week 7 bye was preceded by an amazing 24-23 road victory over the
Cardinals, a game in which the Bears recovered from a 20-0 deficit despite
never scoring an offensive touchdown on a night that saw quarterback Rex
Grossman commit six turnovers. Two fumble returns for scores and a game-
winning 83-yard Devin Hester punt return with less than three minutes to
play kept Smith and company perfect as they hit their week off.

Also coming off a bye week is San Francisco, which couldn't keep pace with
San Diego in a 48-19 home defeat. The 49ers have now allowed 34 or more
points in four of their six games this season, and are surrendering a
league-high 32.3 per contest.

SERIES HISTORY

Chicago leads the all-time regular season series with the 49ers, 28-27-1,
breaking a deadlock in the series with a 17-9 home victory in Week 10 of
last season. The Niners also dropped a 23-13 decision at Soldier Field in
2003, and are 0-5 in regular season games played in the Windy City since
last winning there in 1974. San Francisco's last win of any kind in the
series was a 49-7 home triumph in 2003.

The 49ers have won all three postseason matchups between the clubs,
defeating the Bears for the NFC Championship in both 1984 and 1988, and
prevailing in a 1994 NFC Divisional Playoff. Of those contests, the 1988
matchup was the only one played in Chicago.

The teams met at Monster Park in Week 1 of the 2006 preseason, with San
Francisco scoring a 28-14 victory.

Smith is 2-0 all-time against San Francisco, while the 49ers' Mike Nolan is
0-1 against both Smith and the Bears as a head coach.

49ERS OFFENSE VS. BEARS DEFENSE

Looking to continue his steady play will be 49ers quarterback Alex Smith
(1285 passing yards, 8 TD, 4 INT), who has thrown five touchdown passes in
his past two games and has looked nothing like the player that struggled
mightily during the second half of 2005. Smith completed 20-of-31 passes for
214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the Week 6 loss to the
Chargers, with his biggest problem coming in the form of pressure. San Diego
dropped Smith for five sacks, but the probable return of left tackle Jonas
Jennings (ankle, hand) and guard Larry Allen (knee) to the lineup this week
should help a bit in that regard. Smith's top targets this season have been
wideouts Antonio Bryant (21 receptions, 1 TD) and Arnaz Battle (20
receptions, 2 TD) along with tight end Eric Johnson (17 receptions, 1 TD).
Bryant had four- catches for a team-high 78 yards in Week 6. The team will
be without top draft pick and tight end Vernon Davis (broken fibula) for at
least one more week.

Chicago suffered a major loss to its secondary in the Arizona game, as
strong safety and defensive leader Mike Brown was lost for the year with a
Lisfranc ligament tear in his right foot. Brown, who previously suffered a
season- ending torn Achilles two games into 2004, will be replaced in the
lineup by Todd Johnson (14 tackles), who has started 13 games with the Bears
since 2004. Among those seeking to pick up the slack in Brown's absence will
be cornerback Charles Tillman (28 tackles, 1 INT), who had a 40-yard fumble
return for a touchdown against the Cardinals, and fellow CB Nathan Vasher
(21 tackles), who ranked among team leaders with nine tackles in the win.
The team should get a boost in the pass rush this week as Adewale Ogunleye (
1.5 sacks), who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, is
expected to start against San Francisco. Rookie Mark Anderson leads Chicago
with 6.5 sacks, and tackle Tommie Harris is second on the team with five.

Niners running back Frank Gore (520 rushing yards, 3 TD, 20 receptions)
comes off his quietest game of the season, as the 15 touches he garnered
against the Chargers were a season-low. Gore rushed 10 times for 55 yards in
the loss, also catching five passes for 35 yards out of the backfield. After
enduring some fumbling problems earlier in the season, the Miami (FL)
product has not put the ball on the ground in his last two games. Rookie
Michael Robinson (64 rushing yards, 2 TD) and kickoff returner Maurice Hicks
(8 receptions, 1 TD) have alternated in spelling Gore, and fullback Moran
Norris scored his first touchdown as a Niner on a two-yard catch in Week 6.

The Bears completely shut down Edgerrin James and the Arizona running game
last time out, holding the former Pro Bowler to 55 yards on 36 carries in
the contest. The outing by James set a dubious record for fewest yards on
the most rush attempts. Linebackers Brian Urlacher (54 tackles) and Lance
Briggs (51 tackles) were constantly in James' face, combining for 23 solo
tackles on the night. Up front, tackles Tommie Harris (13 tackles) and
Alfonso Boone (11 tackles, 1 sack) combined for seven stops in the game.
Chicago ranks No. 3 in the league in rushing defense (74.5 yards per game)
as Week 8 begins.

BEARS OFFENSE VS. 49ERS DEFENSE

It is hard to imagine a performance worse than the one Grossman (1387
passing yards, 10 TD, 7 INT) posted against the Cardinals in Week 6, and the
fact that it came on the heels of so many fine outings was what was so hard
to figure. Grossman completed 14-of-37 passes for 144 yards and four
interceptions, ending the night with a 10.2 passer rating, and also lost a
pair of fumbles just for good measure. Prior to the Arizona game, Grossman
had put up a passer rating of 98.6 or better in four of five contests.
Looking to assist in their quarterback's recovery this week will be wideouts
Muhsin Muhammad (27 receptions, 1 TD) and Bernard Berrian (21 receptions, 4
TD) along with tight end Desmond Clark (20 receptions, 1 TD). Clark led the
Bears with four catches for 61 yards in Arizona. Grossman has been sacked
just six times on the year, including twice against the Cardinals.

Grossman will be looking to pick on a San Francisco defense that ranks a
distant 30th in the NFL against the pass (242.3 yards per game) as Week 8
begins. The Niners were torched for 334 yards on 29-of-39 passing by the
Chargers' Philip Rivers in Week 7, as four different San Diego players
caught at least five passes in the game. Cornerbacks Shawntae Spencer (32
tackles) and Sammy Davis (15 tackles) will have to do a better job against
Muhammad and Berrian this week, with safeties Mike Adams (34 tackles) and
Mark Roman (19 tackles) lending better support. Three of San Francisco's
four interceptions on the year belong to cornerback Walt Harris, who had all
three of the picks against Oakland in Week 5 and subsequently missed the San
Diego game with a hamstring problem. Harris, who played for Chicago from
1996 through 2001, is probable for this week. The 49ers' pass rush has
generated 13 sacks on the year, including a team-leading three from end
Bryant Young. San Francisco did not have a sack of Rivers in Week 6.

After sprinkling him into the game plan over the first six games, the Bears
have hinted that former first-round draft pick and running back Cedric
Benson (148 rushing yards, 2 TD) could see more extensive carries beginning
this week. Benson carried just once for four yards against Arizona, and has
seen most of his time in the midst of Chicago blowouts. Thomas Jones (432
rushing yards, 2 TD, 14 receptions) will continue to be the Bears' No. 1
rushing option, but will have to be more productive in order to keep his
job. Jones is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, and has just one 100-yard
game to his credit this season. Jones carried 11 times for 43 yards against
Arizona, his former team.

San Francisco has been decent against the run in 2006, as evidenced by the
fact that it allowed Chargers All-Pro LaDainian Tomlinson to muster just 71
yards on 21 carries without a run of longer than nine yards in Week 6.
Unfortunately for the Niners, who gave up four rushing touchdowns to
Tomlinson, they had no answer for him near the goal line. Inside linebackers
Derek Smith (40 tackles) and Jeff Ulbrich (27 tackles) bear much of the run-
stopping responsibility, with the three-man line of Young (19 tackles, 3
sacks) and Marques Douglas (23 tackles, 1 sack) at the ends and Anthony
Adams (6 tackles, 1 sack) in the middle helping out as well. Smith had a
team-high eight tackles against the Chargers.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

There is some concern in Bears camp, as the loss of Brown for the season
creates a void in the secondary, and Grossman's six-turnover game in Arizona
is leading some to believe that he may have turned back into a pumpkin. But
if the Cardinals game showed anything, it is that Chicago has playmakers in
all phases, and has the will to keep playing even when the circumstances are
dire. They have enough talent and emotion to dispense with young and
inconsistent opponents like San Francisco in short order. After three hours
on Sunday, the Bears will again be who we thought they were - a very good
team.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Bears 27, 49ers 7