RUNNING GAME
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The Bears have no interest in putting this game solely in the hands of Rex Grossman. If that happens, the Bears are in trouble because Seattle will have stopped what the Bears really want to do: run and run some more. The Bears beat on the Seahawks with 38 runs (vs. 32 pass plays) for 143 yards in the teams’ first meeting and had the ball more than 35 minutes.
Thomas Jones’ fumble against the Giants was the Bears’ only turnover in 453 combined carries by Jones and Cedric Benson. The Bears’ average of 120 rushing yards per game was good enough for a pedestrian 15th in the NFL, but they ran the ball 503 times, tops among the remaining four NFC teams, and were 10-1 in games when they ran at least 30 times.
The Bears’ only losses were to top run defenses (Packers 13th, Patriots fifth, Dolphins eighth). Seattle finished 22nd vs. the run. The Seahawks have superb linebackers but are not strong up front, and Seattle nearly let the Dallas game get away when it could not stop Julius Jones from rolling up 81 yards on 11 carries in the second half. Now they get brother Thomas, plus Benson, behind an even better offensive line. With Seattle’s patched-together secondary, the potential for play-action off a dominating run game is huge.
PASSING GAME
The Seattle secondary, missing both starting cornerbacks and a top reserve, survived against Dallas in part because the Cowboys lacked any early semblance of a coherent game plan. The Bears lack the marquee receiving group that Dallas had, but they don’t drop balls the way Terrell Owens does and they protect Rex Grossman very well.
Against a healthy Seattle defense, Grossman threw no interceptions and touchdown passes to Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian, and the Bears did not turn the ball over. Muhammad caught five passes, but the Berrian matchup destroyed the Seattle secondary as Grossman went to him for completions of 46, 40 and 22 yards.
Seattle’s pass defense is a danger spot. They are depleted with injuries that forced them to sign players late in the season and play others out of position. Still, it was the secondary that turned in one big play after another to turn back the Cowboys.
Seattle’s pass rush is unspectacular beyond linebacker Julian Peterson but the unit still ranked eighth in the NFL sack percentage. Bears tight end Desmond Clark can hurt defenses, but Seattle managed to hold Dallas tight end Jason Witten to three catches and no scores. The Bears are capable of big strikes and now need to pick their spots carefully.
BEARS OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
QB Rex Grossman
T-Rex or Gee-Rex? He is the least-experienced player on the offense and the single biggest unknown on either side of the ball. His faltering start last postseason dug the Bears a hole against Carolina and his fourth-quarter interception at the Carolina 21 was the finisher. He has talked all season about learning from his mistakes and getting better from them; now he starts his final exams under far more pressure than he was under a year ago.
SKILL PLAYERS
RB Thomas Jones
FB Jason McKie
WR M. Muhammad
WR Bernard Berrian
TE Desmond Clark
Coach Lovie Smith says his is a running team at heart. With Jones and Benson behind a hopefully healthy McKie, the Bears have a chance to establish that identity in a game where it matters most. Benson and Jones are physical and can take over this game in the fourth quarter, and coaches have shown willingness to commit to and stay with a power game plan.
UP FRONT
LT John Tait
LG Ruben Brown
C Olin Kreutz
RG Roberto Garza
RT Fred Miller
The core of the offense, a veteran group that started the ’05 playoff game and is one of the NFL’s best balances of pass- and run-blocking. Kreutz is the key in blitz pickup and recognition, the true danger area for the Bears. Miller and Tait, plus smash-mouth TEs Clark and John Gilmore, can hammer the Seattle edges for Benson and Jones. Ability to control LBs Lofa Tatupu and Peterson will be decisive.
SEAHAWKS DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
LDE Bryce Fisher
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LDT Chuck Darby
RDT Rocky Bernard
RDE Grant Wistrom
Seattle relies on quickness and penetration, and has not had consistent success stopping either the run or pass. But Bernard has been a Pro Bowler and the Seahawks use a solid rotation that includes ex-Bear Russell Davis. The Seahawks were pushed around in the second half by Dallas, and the Bears ran for 95 yards in the second half of their first meeting. Fisher had two sacks, two QB hits and a forced fumble vs. Dallas.
LINEBACKERS
OLB Julian Peterson
MLB Lofa Tatupu
OLB Leroy Hill
Tatupu, Brian Urlacher’s Pro Bowl backup, is strong against both run and pass. Peterson is a legitimate edge rusher who disguises blitzes well (10 sacks), and he and Hill led Seattle in tackles against Dallas. The Bears’ offensive line gets to the second level very well and fullback McKie’s blocking will be a load for Seattle linebackers, who were run on in the first game.
SECONDARY
LCB Jordan Babineaux
RCB Kelly Jennings
SS Michael Boulware
FS Ken Hamlin
Babineaux is a safety forced to move when the Seahawks lost Kelly Herndon and Marcus Trufant to late-season injuries. He is superb in run support and saved the Dallas game with the goal-line stop of Tony Romo. Boulware also is strong in run support but gave up nine TD passes. Jennings is an undersized rookie who will struggle if the Bears run the edges.
KEY MATCHUP
QB Rex Grossman vs. FS Ken Hamlin
When the two teams met the first time, Grossman and Hamlin were coming in as the NFC offensive and defensive players for the month of September. Hamlin led the Seahawks in interceptions (three), his 11 passes defensed are the most in an undermanned secondary and he ranked second in tackles. Grossman’s ability to read the free safety and go to receivers in single coverage will be crucial. Hamlin is the best defender in Seattle’s coverage packages.