Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler has hit rock bottom. There’s only one way to go after throwing five interceptions in a 10-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Thursday – and that direction is up. At least that’s what the Chicago Bears are hoping when they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
Team records:
New York: 4-5 SU, 4-5 ATS
New England: 6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS
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Oddsmakers have set Cutler and the Bears as 3-point home underdogs. Chicago last faced Philadelphia in September of 2008, defeating the Eagles 24-20 on Sunday Night Football with former quarterback Kyle Orton under center.
The Bears were 3-point home underdogs in that game too – proving not much has changed in the Windy City since acquiring the young gunslinger from the Denver Broncos. In his first season in Chicago, Cutler has struggled to find timing with his receivers, throwing three more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (14) heading into Week 11.
Last week’s disaster put him in the red, as Cutler only connected on 29 of his 52 passes and totaled 307 yards. Inside the red zone, the Bears were 0-for-2 with Cutler throwing a pick in both trips inside the Niners’ 20-yard line.
As for his other three interceptions, some are giving the struggling pivot the benefit of the doubt as those throws were picked off after one receiver slipped, another ran into an official, and another target was knocked down by pass interference but no flag was thrown on the play.
Cutler is still a good passer. He has one of the best arms in the league but doesn’t have the same weapons he had in Denver. Chicago’s receiving corps is mediocre at best. There is no real No. 1 threat on the offense, handing that title to Devin Hester by default.
The cornerback turned kick returner turned receiver caught just seven of the 14 balls thrown his way Thursday, totaling 48 yards. Hester did have distractions heading into the game, having spent most of the week with his wife and newborn son. He admitted to be not being focused on football and took blame for his miscues and penalties.
The Eagles’ passing game doesn’t have that problem. In fact, Philadelphia’s offense has the opposite, with too many options to choose from.
Quarterback Donovan McNabb has a talented group of targets on the wing including second-year wideout DeSean Jackson and rookie Jeremy Maclin, who is climbing up the depth chart with his recent performances. The Philly passing game ranks ninth in the NFL with just under 250 yards per game.
However, all those offensive options aren’t translating into wins for the Eagles, who have dropped back-to-back games, failing to cover the spread in both contests. After losing a hard-fought game with the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football two weeks ago, Philadelphia couldn’t contain the Chargers in Week 10.
The Eagles allowed hobbled San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson to relive his glory days, rushing for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Through the air, Philadelphia watched Philip Rivers go 20-of-25 for 231 yards and two scores.
Chicago running back Matt Forte is hoping to crack the Philadelphia stop unit, which ranks ninth in rushing defense. Forte’s struggles have also added to the Bears’ woes on offense. He’s rushed for just 74 yards over his last two games and has only scored three rushing touchdowns this year after rumbling for eight as a rookie.
Forte’s role in the passing game has gotten bigger in recent weeks. He reeled in eight catches for 120 yards receiving against San Francisco and totaled 74 yards on six receptions in the team’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.
The receiving running back is an option made popular by the Eagles and their dynamic rusher Brian Westbrook. However, Westbrook could be sidelined the remainder of the season after suffering his second concussion in three weeks during Philadelphia’s loss to San Diego. In his place, the Eagles are getting solid outings from rookie running back LeSean McCoy, who leads the team in rushing and has caught 181 yards through the air.
The total for Sunday’s game is set at 45 points. These two teams played over the total in last year’s meeting but have an over/under mark of 6-4 going back to 1993. Philadelphia is the top over team in the NFL, going past the total in seven of its nine games. Chicago has an over/under count of 4-5 on the year.
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