Julius Peppers

Before Chicago’s Week 7 matchup with the Washington Redskins, I wanted to write about how the Bears defense isn’t that bad. More specifically, I wanted to write that, while it’s bad compared to what Bears fans are used to, it’s actually no worse than many of the other three- and four-win NFC teams.

This was the basis of my argument:

Team	YPG Allowed	PPG Allowed	Turnovers Forced
Arizona Cardinals	351	21.2	13
Green Bay Packers	372	22.8	6
Chicago Bears	373	26.8	17
Detroit Lions	393	23.3	13
Dallas Cowboys	413	25.3	12
Philadelphia Eagles	420	29.8	10

The Bears were subpar, sure. But they weren’t terrible. In fact, their turnover numbers kept them in the “average” discussion.

And then Week 7 happened. The Bears gave up 499 yards and 45 points to the Washington Redskins.

And now the defense no longer looks like it’s capable of treading water.

It looks like a sinking ship.

At one point on the Redskins’ game-winning drive, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and James Anderson were all watching from the sidelines due to injuries. Major Wright, having just been pulled, became a spectator as well. Already without three starters coming into the game, Fox commentator Daryl Johnston said it was like the Bears’ entire starting defense was sidelined.

Yeah, that seemed about right.

A bye week couldn’t come at a better time.

Unfortunately, rest isn’t going to fix all of the Bears’ defensive problems.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Bears have now fallen to dead last against the run. They aren’t giving up long runs, though—only five of 20 yards or more. They’re giving up something worse: consistent yardage.

Without stops against the run, the Bears aren’t forcing 3rd-and-longs as frequently as they need to. The result of this is twofold.

First, the Bears’ pass rush, already anemic, becomes seemingly nonexistent on anything less than 3rd-and-7.

Second, without a strong pass rush, opposing quarterbacks are less likely to make mistakes.

For a team so reliant on turnovers, that’s not a winning formula.

The decline of Julius Peppers is a huge cause of this problem. But the loss of Henry Melton may be bigger.

The truth is that coming into this season, Peppers was already trending downward. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he ranked third among 4-3 defensive ends in 2010. His ranking fell to seventh in 2011 and 18th in 2012.

Melton, however, was on the upswing. Ranked 16th in 2011 and seventh in 2012 among all defensive tackles, the disruption he brought at the point of attack was invaluable to the defense. Since losing him in Week 3, that production has proven to be irreplaceable.

As Bleacher Report’s Zach Kruse aptly pointed out, replacing a quality player midseason is virtually impossible. There’s no one the Bears can simply pick up off the waiver wire.

The only real option is completing a trade. But midseason trades are rare, and with Cutler out at least four weeks, it’s unlikely management will give up a pick in next year’s draft.

Without a real presence on the defensive front, the Bears are going to continue to struggle. The safeties are going to continue to look like one of the worst tandems in the league. The tackling woes will continue.

The Bears' defensive ranking won’t hang around the middle of the pack, as I once thought it would.

But I’m not ready to call the season lost just yet. One thing that is still applicable from the chart above is the fact that the Bears are not the only team with problems. The Lions are flawed. The Packers are beatable. The NFC East is no juggernaut.

Looking at the Bears’ remaining schedule, every single game is winnable. Teams have proven again and again—if you’ve got an offense, you can win games.

Of course, with Cutler’s injury, whether the Bears still have an offense is up for debate.

To stay in the playoff picture, the Bears will need backup Josh McCown to win either one of the next three or two of the next four games, depending on the length of Cutler's absence.

Against the Redskins, McCown was able to come in and produce. With teams game-planning against him, however, success likely won’t come as easily.

The fear is that this will be a repeat of 2011, when Chicago lost six in a row following Cutler's Week 11 injury. Under backup Caleb Hanie, the Bears offense sputtered. McCown, the third-stringer then, didn't fare much better.

But the 2011 offense is nothing like the 2013 version. This time around, McCown already looks better, partly because he's got two of the best wide receivers in the league on either side of him. Plus he has a head coach and an offensive coordinator who have proven they can be innovative with their play-calling.

Still, many Bears fans aren't seeing the sunny side of things right now. And truth be told, a positive end to this regular season doesn't seem likely, but it's too soon to write the Bears off entirely. There's still too much football to be played, too many important division games to come.

So let's take a deep breath and thank the football gods that the Bears have a bye week to regroup. And while we're at it, let's pray for the Lions and Packers to lose next week. That always makes things seem a little bit better. 

Every Thursday, former NFL defensive back Matt Bowen brings you “The Second Level,” a breakdown of the league from multiple angles.

10 Things I Learned from the Week 6 Film

Here are 10 things that stood out from my perspective when watching tape this week.

1. Chiefs Defense Continues to Impress

Kansas City had a solid blitz package to attack the Raiders offensive line. Think of overload blitzes and secondary pressure that can confuse basic protection schemes up front along the offensive line. Ten sacks? That’s a ridiculous number.

But let’s not forget about the ability of the Chiefs secondary, because there weren’t many opportunities (or throwing windows) for Terrelle Pryor on Sunday. This unit can play off-man, press and drive to the upfield shoulder of receivers. And I’m seeing it every week on the tape.

 

2. Nick Foles Is Playing Like the No. 1 in Philadelphia

Foles isn’t going to threaten opposing defenses with the zone read in Chip Kelly’s offense like we see with Michael Vick, but the key is his ability to be accurate with the football and prevent turnovers.

In the win over the Bucs, Foles took advantage of some matchups versus both zone and man schemes while delivering the ball on time. Here is an example from the All-22 tape of Foles’ touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson. A Cover 2 (or Cover 6) beater with the strong safety occupied by the tight end. Get the matchup versus the free safety and make the throw.

3. Aqib Talib Won with Technique Versus Jimmy Graham

In one-on-one matchups, technique wins over talent. The veteran cornerback challenged Graham at the line of scrimmage from a press alignment, used his hands to disrupt the release and slid his feet to gain inside leverage versus the slant, dig, etc. Smart move by Bill Belichick to match up his No. 1 cornerback versus the league’s top tight end. 

4. Bears Edge-Rushers Aren’t Showing Up on Third Downs

The Bears are struggling to play coverage on third downs (Cover 2, Cover 3) because of their inability to generate a rush off the edge. Julius Peppers was a non-factor versus the Giants, and second-year pro Shea McClellin continues to show his lack of development at the point of attack. 

Eli Manning had time to navigate the pocket and allow his receivers to convert routes versus zone looks. Find a hole, sit down and move the sticks. That was too easy. And it could force the Bears to lean on nickel pressure schemes moving forward.

5. The Read-Option Will Create More Opportunities for Robert Griffin III

RG3 looked much more explosive on the tape versus the Cowboys, and that will allow Washington to get back to the read-option looks that lead to play-action opportunities for the quarterback.

When Washington can align in the pistol and use the inside zone with Alfred Morris (or get RG3 to the edge), it forces second-level defenders to attack the line of scrimmage. That opens up the middle of the field for Griffin to throw the slant, skinny post and backside dig route. Set it up with the option, and then expose the defense on the pass. 

 

6. Leverage Is the Key with Chargers Wide Receiver Keenan Allen

The rookie wide receiver played at a high level on Monday night because of his ability to use his size/length to create leverage versus defensive backs. Think of the dig route, post or the underneath smash (five-yard square-in). 

Win on the release, gain separation at the top of the stem and work back inside to stack on the corner. Allen plays much faster on tape compared to his times back at his pro day, and it showed in the win over the Colts. 

7. Reggie Bush on the Middle Screen Is a Nightmare to Defend

The running back gives Detroit a lot of options from a play-calling perspective, but I’m looking at the screen game when the Lions target the middle of the field. In the win over the Browns, Bush aligned in the slot out of an empty formation to run the middle screen for a touchdown.

Spread the field, run off the top of the defense and get the ball to Bush with blockers out in front. That’s tough on any secondary.

8. Antonio Cromartie Gave the Steelers a Free One

The Jets cornerback can get lazy with his technique, and that showed up when he gave up the deep one to Pittsburgh’s Emmanuel Sanders. With the Jets playing Cover 0 (blitz-man, no safety help), Cromartie overplayed an outside stem from Sanders on the release, stuck his eyes in the backfield and lost leverage on the route.  

9. Cam Newton, Panthers Caught the Vikings with a Cover 3 Beater

The Vikings were beaten over the top by Brandon LaFell because they failed to play the technique of Cover 3 (three deep, four under). With the Panthers running a “switch” route (No. 1 on post, No. 2 on wheel), both the cornerback and free safety will be occupied by the deep post. That leaves the curl-to-flat defender to match/carry LaFell on the wheel.

However, as you can see below, the Vikings released LaFell down the field and were beaten on a route they should have handled playing Cover 3.

 

10. Texans Defense Didn't Play with Eye Discipline on the Goal Line

In the loss to the Rams, the Houston defense was beaten twice inside the 5-yard line with play action that created easy targets for quarterback Sam Bradford. In both situations, (flat-corner combination, tight end crosser), the second level of the Texans defense failed to read its run/pass keys and got stuck with its eyes in the backfield.

 

5 Things to Watch Heading into Week 7

After looking at the Week 7 NFL schedule, here are five things I’m focused on.

1. The Return of Von Miller

I don’t know if we will see a major impact from Miller on Sunday night versus the Colts in his first game back from suspension. That depends on his conditioning level and how many snaps he gets.

However, it will be interesting to find out if the Colts have to adjust their protection schemes to account for his edge speed. If Miller can get home early (and win one-on-one matchups), the Broncos can lean on coverage versus Andrew Luck in third-down situations.

2. Josh Freeman Gets the Start for the Vikings

This is a great opportunity for Freeman on Monday night to take control of the quarterback position for the Vikings. I would expect Minnesota to lean on the run game early with Adrian Peterson, but there will be specific game situations in which Freeman can showcase his ability to make key throws and control the offense.

And working against a Giants defense that has struggled to generate pressure, Freeman should have some chances to target the secondary.

3. Packers Offensive Game Plan

With the injuries the Packers have at the wide receiver position, head coach Mike McCarthy will have to adjust his personnel groupings. As I wrote on Wednesday, that could mean more two-tight end sets and a game plan that features rookie running back Eddie Lacy against the Browns.

Green Bay can still spread the field and create matchups for quarterback Aaron Rodgers with its current personnel, but the game plan could look different than what we are used to seeing with the Packers.

4. Richard Sherman vs. Larry Fitzgerald

I know Fitzgerald is dealing with a hamstring injury, but this is still must-see TV from my perspective with two of the top players at their respective positions. If you want to check out this matchup, then focus on the initial release at the line of scrimmage when Sherman plays press-man.

That’s where the majority of these battles outside the numbers are decided. Who can win on the release and control the opponent throughout the route stem? We will find out Thursday night.

 

5. Bears Rookie Linebacker Jon Bostic vs. RG3

I like Bostic because of the run-and-hit ability he displayed in the preseason. But this is a tough matchup for the rookie in his first NFL start because of the read-option and the misdirection schemes in the Washington offense.

Bostic has to be solid with his run/pass keys, show discipline in his gap fits versus the read-option and get depth in his zone drops to take away Griffin’s targets in the middle of the field.

All-22 Rewind: Alec Ogletree’s Pick-Six vs. Texans  

Let’s go back to the Rams-Texans matchup and break down Ogletree’s interception in the red zone out of the Cover 2 shell.

Rams vs. Texans

Personnel: Posse (3WR-1TE-1RB)

Formation: Empty

Offensive Concept: Y-Stick

Defensive Scheme: Cover 2 

The Texans are running a Cover 2 beater to create a hole between the closed-side (strong-side) cornerback and the Sam ‘backer (Ogletree). The No. 1 receiver takes a hard outside release to widen the cornerback, with the tight end working away from the initial leverage of Ogletree as an underneath seam-hook defender. This should allow T.J. Yates to target the tight end on the stick route in front of the deep-half safety.

This plays out like a “bracket” coverage on the tight end because of the strong safety’s initial read of No. 1. When defenses play Cover 2 in the red zone, the cornerback will match to No. 1 on an outside release. That allows the safety to get his eyes back to the quarterback and drive downhill. And with the protection of the safety in the alley, Ogletree can read through the break of the tight end and jump this out cut.

This ball from Yates is on the back shoulder of the tight end, but I still love the read from the rookie linebacker. Ogletree came out of his break with speed, took an angle that put him in a position to make the play and then finished in the end zone for six points.

Football 101: Beating Cover 4 in the Red Zone

How do you beat Cover 4 in the red zone? Set some bait for the strong safety and target the cornerback. Using the film from the Colts-Chargers matchup, let’s take a look at Philip Rivers' touchdown pass to Keenan Allen.

Colts vs. Chargers

Personnel: Ace (2WR-2TE-1RB)

Formation: Unit Wing

Offensive Concept: Sail

Defensive Scheme: Cover 4

The Sail route is a three-level concept (post-corner-flat) that puts stress on the strong safety in Cover 4 to play the proper technique/responsibility of the huddle call. Here, the Chargers set some bait for the strong safety with tight end Antonio Gates on the intermediate out route, with Rivers targeting Allen on the post.

In Cover 4, the strong safety will match to No. 2 once the receiver carries his route past a depth of 12 yards. If there is no vertical threat, the strong safety will look to No. 1 and run underneath the post. In this situation, Gates breaks his route at a depth of eight yards. The strong safety should immediately look outside to help on No. 1. However, he settles his feet, gets stuck on Gates and is late to react to the post.

Allen gains position on the break back to the post. That allows the receiver to go to work on the cornerback, who is stuck in an outside leverage position with no help to the inside. A classic Cover 4 beater on Monday night.

Inside the Locker Room: The Real Issue with Thursday Night Football

Thursday night games in the NFL lack execution, are played at a slower pace and the tackling is average at best.

But despite the watered-down game plans and dull tempo, the real issue is the lack of recovery time for these players on a short week.

Leading up to Week 1, I broke down the game-week prep for NFL players. From the playbook install to the lifting schedules, every player has a strict routine that he follows to get ready for Sundays and to maintain his body for 16 weeks.

That changes with a Thursday night game.

Think of the treatment time these guys miss in the training room or the lifting schedule that is cut in half. And that doesn’t include the average rest time players get early in the week to recover and attend to injuries before practice starts up again on Wednesday.

At this point of the NFL season, every player is dealing with some discomfort on his body. Knees, shoulders, bumps and bruises.

And for many, just getting to Sunday is a challenge.

That means more treatment (sometimes up to three training-room sessions a day) and pain injections on Sunday morning. Anything you can do to get through the three-plus hours on game day.

And then you start over again on Monday morning. It’s a cycle that players get settled into, and they rely on their own personal routines to survive.

As a fan, I’m going to watch the games every Thursday night. More football is more football. And I understand the money at play here from the perspective of the league office. 

But as a former player (one who didn’t have to line up for these Thursday night games), I do understand why some current players would speak out against these short weeks.

They’re tired. They’re sore. They’re beat-up. 

And the proof is in the lack of quality play on the field.

Seven-year NFL veteran Matt Bowen is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.

Follow @MattBowen41

Six games in, the Chicago Bears are 4-2, a half game atop the NFC North, but are they headed for the playoffs? Is Julius Peppers still elite? Is Marc Trestman the answer? How good can Alshon Jeffery be? The answers to these questions, and more, below.

Marc Trestman is an upgrade over Lovie Smith. Buy or Sell?

Through six games Trestman has given Bears fans what they’ve always wanted: an offense. A real offense. To the tune of 369 yards and 28.7 points per game, the latter ranking fifth-highest in the league.

In addition, Jay Cutler looks like a changed man. Aside from the three-interception effort against the Detroit Lions in Week 4, he’s putting up the kind of numbers Chicago has never seen from the quarterback position.

How much credit does Trestman deserve for this? It’s tough to say exactly, but some things are certain: Cutler isn’t throwing the ball as far down the field as in previous years. The offense, once very hit-or-miss reliant on deeper throws, now moves more methodically due to a higher percentage of positive-yardage plays.

On the other hand, the Bears defense has turned to shambles. Stalwarts in 2012, the Bears are at the bottom half of the chart in almost every defensive category.

That said, I’m BUYING Marc Trestman as an upgrade for Chicago, not because he’s a better overall coach—that remains to be seen. I’m buying because right now he’s a better fit for Chicago. The Bears have big-time offensive weapons in Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte, and Martellus Bennett. Trestman has shown he can tailor the offense to their individual strengths.

Julius Peppers is still an elite defensive end. Buy or Sell?

It’s becoming painfully obvious: The Bears pass rush is bad. How bad? Eight sacks in six games bad.

That rate equates to 21 sacks over 16 games. In the last three years only one team, the 2012 Jacksonville Jaguars, finished below that mark.

But surely Peppers, the $84-million man, is not to blame. He gets double-teamed every play! He eats up two blockers so everyone else can roam free!

Actually, no. It’s not 2011 anymore.

The truth is that Peppers is playing like a shell of his former all-pro self. Often against the Giants he was handled by a sole blocker, and too often he was completely taken out of the play. He finished the game with no tackles and just one QB hurry. On the season he has just 10 hurries. Forty-one players top that mark—and that’s with Peppers playing an extra game.

I’m SELLING Peppers as an elite defensive end right now but praying that he starts to play like one soon.

Alshon Jeffery Could Be a No. 1 option. Buy or Sell?

Good receivers catch the ball when they’re open. Great receivers catch the ball even when they’re not.

Jeffery has proven the ability to catch the ball in any coverage from any spot on the field. He’s developing into the Bears’ version of Derrick Rose—too big, too strong, too fast. Defenders who can keep up with his speed can’t outmuscle him for the ball. Stronger players simply can’t match his stride.

What this adds up to is a big security blanket for Jay Cutler. He can throw it in Jeffery’s direction and know that, if anyone is going to get his hands on the ball, it’ll be No. 17. Because Jeffery can make a quarterback’s job so much easier, I’m BUYING him as a legitimate No. 1 option, if not now, then not too far in the future.

The Bears miss Brian Urlacher. Buy or Sell?

The Bears missed 10 tackles against the New York Giants. They made Brandon Jacobs look like the Incredible Hulk. Two weeks earlier against the Lions, it looked more like a Reggie Bush highlight package than a Bears game.

Over the years Bears fans grew accustomed to seeing swarming blue jerseys, blazing speed and sound fundamentals on the defensive side of the ball. This year, aside from Lance Briggs, it’s tough to trust anyone in the second or third levels to make tackles.

For this reason, I’m BUYING the fact that the Bears miss Urlacher. In 2012 he was a year older and a step slower, but he could always be trusted to introduce opposing running backs to the turf.

The Bears will make the playoffs. Buy or Sell?

The Bears’ 4-2 record may look nicer than it actually is. For one, they’ve played two winless teams. Second, they’ve played four of their first six games at home.

Their easiest tests remaining—Minnesota, St. Louis, Cleveland and Philadelphia—are all road games. Dallas, though just 2-3, has proven to be no slouch. Baltimore and Green Bay also appear better than their records.

It’s not going to be an easy road to the playoffs for the Bears, especially with division rivals Green Bay and Detroit looking strong. I see the Packers reaching 11 wins while Chicago and Detroit fight for a wild-card spot. Ultimately though, I’m BUYING Chicago beating Detroit, winning 10 games and making the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears are 2-0 and have the majority of their fans believing that they will once again be a playoff participant.  

Their offense has looked much more fluid than in years past and Jay Cutler has been big when it counts as he has lead the Bears on winning touchdown drives to finish games each of the first two weeks.

Of course it helps when you have an offensive line that can keep you upright for more than three seconds. The line is still coming together, but they have been huge early on this season, allowing only one sack through the first two weeks.

As advertised, they have also spread the ball around the field, using Matt Forte much more often out of the backfield and utilizing their newfound weapon from the tight end position, Martellus Bennett. Who knew that having a legitimate threat from the tight end position could make such a difference?  It's quite a revelation.

However, despite the fast start from the offense, there are some concerns on the defensive side of the ball, particularly on the defensive line.

Through two games, the D-line has accumulated a total of two sacks—one by Corey Wootton and a half sack each for Shea McClellin and Stephen Paea.  Which means that the two guys who have All-Pro status on their resume, Julius Peppers and Henry Melton, have yet to register a sack.  

Peppers has actually only accounted for one tackle through two games, and his lack of production has some people concerned.  One person who isn't troubled is teammate Lance Briggs, who said, "I'm not concerned, one thing I'm not worried about is Julius Peppers."

Head coach Marc Trestman also didn't seem overly worried about Peppers' lack of production thus far, citing a recent illness as a factor in his subpar performance against the Minnesota Vikings.  

"He was not healthy (Sunday).  He was probably sicker (Sunday) than he was the two previous days. He wouldn't say it. But in his defense, I don't know that he had the energy to play as hard as he could possibly play," Trestman told Dan Weiderer of the Chicago Tribune.

The fact is that Peppers didn't play many snaps in the preseason and was obviously ill heading into Week 2, so it's easy to give him a pass thus far, but if he doesn't produce much this week against a struggling Pittsburgh offensive line, then it may be time to worry.

However, it hasn't only been Peppers who isn't producing.  As I stated earlier, the entire line has only produced two sacks to this point and hasn't even applied much pressure.

Consequently, the Bears defense is currently tied with the St. Louis Rams for the worst third-down conversion rate at 52 percent (14 of 27).  Bears Insider John Mullin had this to say about the Bears' third-down issues:

Two games do not a season make, but that is worse than any two-game stretch of third downs in more than two years and the worst since the Bears combined for 18 of 33 conversions in back-to-back 2010 games against Detroit (win) and New England (loss). Three times last year the Bears allowed 14 third-down conversions over two games but never for more than 50 percent combined.

And while Trestman isn't all that concerned about Peppers up to this point, he did express some concern over the defense's inability to get off the field on third downs. “We’ve got to continue to improve our third-down conversion rate.  We put the (Minnesota) game in (quarterback Christian) Ponder’s hands, and he did a good job, particularly on breaking contain on a couple of occasions,”  Trestman said.

As I mentioned earlier, Peppers and company do have a chance to get things going this week against a Pittsburgh offensive line that has had problems of its own.  According to 670 The Score's Dan Durkin, Pittsburgh is allowing a sack for every 10 dropbacks, which means that the Bears should have some opportunities on Sunday night to get to Ben Roethlisberger.

Durkin also noted that Pittsburgh is averaging an AFC-low 2.4 yards per attempt on the ground, which should allow the Bears to put more emphasis on getting to Roethlisberger and slowing down the passing game.  

Let's hope so.

The Bears are 2-0 and sit alone atop the NFC North, but if they want to stay there, they are going to need more from their defense and certainly more from their defensive line. Again, two games doesn't make a season, but the lack of pressure and inability to stop third-down conversions are trends that can't continue if they want to be serious playoff contenders.

Peppers should be healthy going into Sunday night's game against Pittsburgh, and all eyes will be on him and his D-line mates to see if they can finally get things going.  

After all, Jay Cutler can only lead so many fourth-quarter comebacks, right?

On draft day, it seemed that Kyle Long stole the show for the Chicago Bears.

There were rumors swirling that the Bears might select LB Manti Te'o or TE Tyler Eifert, so when the Bears pulled the trigger and went with Long, their decision generated a lot of buzz within the Chicago fanbase around the league.

After all, it was the first guard that the Bears selected in the first round since 1960.

The Bears, however, did make other selections in the 2013 NFL draft, and one of them is quietly working on becoming one of the best defensive linemen in the league. Cornelius Washington, a defensive end out of Georgia, was selected by the Bears in the sixth round of the draft. He was listed much higher on the big board of many NFL teams, but concerns about his work ethic caused him to fall to the sixth round.

Usually, picks in the sixth and seventh rounds don't get too much attention. But this pick got a second look by ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. shortly after the draft. Kiper called Washington falling all the way to the sixth round the "surprise of the draft." He went on to say:

 Even though his sack totals were very low, his talent is enormous. I thought he played better in certain games than people gave him credit for, and I thought he had a nice Senior Bowl week. He's got too much talent to last to the sixth round, but when people get that underachiever label, sometimes that hurts you.

Taking a look at the stats Washington put up in college, it would be hard to disagree with Kiper on the subject. While Washington didn't get to the quarterback much (10.5 career sacks), he did compile 76 combined tackles, including 22 his senior season. It's clear that as time went on, Washington developed as a player, especially during his senior season.

His work really seemed to pay off against No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game this past season. In the third quarter of that game, Washington broke through the line and blocked a field goal attempt by the Crimson Tide, which was returned for a touchdown by teammate Alec Ogletree.

In addition to that game, Washington had a solid performance against No. 3 Florida this past season, getting two solo tackles and recovering a fumble in a 17-9 victory for the Bulldogs.

Despite what Kiper says, there are still some questions as to whether or not Washington will be able to compete at the NFL level. Israel Idonije is no longer on the Chicago Bears, which means that there is a spot open for Washington to compete and play. That being said, he not only still has to prove himself against veteran Corey Wootton but last year's first-round draft pick Shea McClellin, who is expected to have a bigger workload this season.

Still, Washington seems to have done a pretty good job so far with the Bears. When asked about rookie's performance so far, new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said, (via Chicago Sun-Times),He looks athletic, looks like he can rush a little bit, high-motor guy who only knows one speed, full speed whether it's a walk-through or whatever." (via Chicago Sun-Times)

So far, it seems that the "underachiever" label that Kiper believes caused Washington to fall has not made it to Chicago. Tucker went on to say, "He's a fun guy to coach...He's a guy who improves and takes coaching, so I think he's got some upside and the arrow is up with him."

It's too soon to tell if Washington will truly become known as the steal of the 2013 NFL draft, but one thing is for sure right now: Cornelius Washington has enormous potential and a great chance to make the most of his NFL career with the Bears.

It's now just a matter of time to see whether or not that potential turns into performance.

It was not pretty, it wasn't always fun to watch, and it was the weirdest game of the year.

Cutler didn't complete his first six passes and it seemed like he was only trying to throw to Brandon Marshall all day.

The Bears needed to get back in the win column to save their playoff hopes today. They did exactly that, just not in orderly fashion. Aside from the Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte touchdowns, the offense looked slow.

Thank God for the Bears defense. They scored two touchdowns of their own which gives them nine on the season. Arizona's only touchdown came off of a blocked Olindo Mare field goal attempt with just under two minutes left in the game.

Aside from that, this was a hard game to watch. Both teams combined for 17 punts and combined for 6-28 on third down conversions.

Devin Hester put on another terrible performance. He returned only three punts for a dismal total of 18 yards. Eric Weems wasn't much better.

There weren't too may highlights to come out of this game. Then again, Chicago Bears football isn't always about winning pretty.

While I agree that a victory is a victory, it was an ugly victory to watch. Aside from the Bears winning, the only thing that made today's game worth watching is the fact that both Dallas and the New York Giants lost today.

Fans may have been upset that the "mighty" Houston Texans, who came to Soldier Field and took Jay Cutler out of the game, looked lousy against a below average Minnesota Vikings team.

A Texans victory would have helped the Bears tremendously. Of course if the Bears had not played poorly these last several weeks, they wouldn't need Houston's help.

Next up for the Bears is the Detroit Lions, who lost to these same Arizona Cardinals just last week.

There is no reason why the Bears shouldn't win this game. Detroit is one of the worst teams in the league this year.

Of course, a Bears victory will not be enough. The Bears also need some help from their arch rivals, the Green Bay Packers.

A Bears win as well as a Packers win equals a wild card spot for the 2012 Chicago Bears. Next week will be one of the biggest Week 17s in Bears history.

After defeating the Detroit Lions on Sunday 27-20, the Green Bay Packers head into Chicago this Sunday with an opportunity to clinch the NFC North crown.

A disappointing 21-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday tempered the Bears' expectations of winning the division en route to the playoffs. Chicago will likely be in a battle for one of the two wild-card spots.

The Bears and Packers last met up back in Week 2 in Green Bay, with the Packers coming away with a 23-10 victory. 

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to prove week in and week out that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Through the Packers' first 13 games, he has thrown for just under 3,297 yards, 29 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

Rodgers has the ability to fit the ball in a tight window, to throw it downfield and to pick up yards with his feet when needed. The Bears defense has given him fits in the past, but he still has put up great numbers against them.  In 10 career games against Chicago (including the playoffs), he has thrown for 2,439 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions.  The sliver lining in that time is that the Bears have been effective at getting him to turn the football over in comparison to other teams.

The loss of Brian Urlacher in the middle will help open up the middle of the field more, and his replacement, Nick Roach, will be asked to drop off in coverage and to also keep contain on Rodgers if he gets outside of the pocket.

The Packers wide receiving corps has been decimated by injuries all season. Greg Jennings returned two weeks ago from a groin injury and has just 17 catches for 151 yards on the season. Veteran Donald Driver missed time with a broken thumb but has been a shell of himself this season, with just eight catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

Jordy Nelson has missed time this season with a hamstring injury but still is viewed as the anchor of the wide receiving corps and has hauled in 46 catches for 658 yards and six touchdowns. The big surprise this season has been the solid play of veteran James Jones.  Jones, once knocked for his big drops and penchant for mistakes, has taken his game to a new level with 46 catches for 556 yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns.

The most consistent receiver on the roster this season, however, has been second-year player Randall Cobb.  He has the team lead in catches (71) and receiving yards (777) and has also hauled in seven touchdowns. He has been a matchup nightmare with his ability to stretch the field vertically and make defenders miss in open space, and he's also been effective when lining up in the backfield or running the ball on an end-around. 

With the bevy of talent at the wide receiver position, the Bears secondary will have its hands full.  They are hoping that Tim Jennings can return this Sunday following a shoulder injury suffered against the Seahawks two weeks ago, and he would likely draw the task of defending Cobb.  Charles Tillman will likely face off against the bigger Jones, and nickelback Kelvin Hayden will likely have a chance at facing off against a number of the Packers receivers.

Never known for much of a running game, the Packers have done a better job at trying to establish the run this season, particularly in their last few games. Cedric Benson was supposed to give them a threat in the running game, but he suffered a foot injury and will not be able to return this season. 

James Starks suffered a knee injury two weeks ago and could miss the remainder of the season (h/t CBS Sports).  In the absence of Benson and Starks, Alex Green has stepped up, particularly in their last two games, gaining 127 yards rushing on 25 carries. They expect to use more of DuJuan Harris, who scored a touchdown against the Lions on Sunday night as well as newly signed former Packer, Ryan Grant.

The Packers will never be a run-first team, but they have begun to realize the importance the running game has, particularly here in the later part of the season. A strong running game will force the Bears to bring up safety Major Wright into the box, which would in turn open up plays down the field. 

The Bears front seven will need to be able to stop the run, and that all starts with what their defensive line can do up front against the banged-up Packers offensive line.

Sunday against Detroit, the Packers were forced to start undrafted rookie Don Barclay.  Barclay played a solid game against a stout Lions defensive front and was at the forefront of a lot of the Packers' big gains while running the ball.

The usual right tackle, T.J. Lang, was dressed for Sunday's contest after missing time with an ankle injury, but the Packers likely wanted to give Barclay reps in case Lang is not able to play out the rest of the season. If Barclay again gets the start, expect the Bears to try to load his side with blitzes from either safety Chris Conte or even linebacker Lance Briggs.

The Packers have struggled this season at keeping Aaron Rodgers upright, giving up 42 sacks on the season, second-worst in the NFL. Veteran Jeff Saturday has been a nice addition to the interior of the line, and guards Evan Dietrich-Smith and Josh Sitton are average-at-best NFL guards. 

Left tackle Marshall Newhouse has struggled against the pass rush, allowing eight and a half sacks this season. Julius Peppers will get the first crack at Newhouse, and expect a steady flow of Corey Wootton and Shea McClellin.