Preview: Bears vs. Patriots

By Staff in News on Dec 12, 2010 5:00PM

The brunt of winter may be upon us in Chicago, but the Bears are anything but hibernating. There is still some concern with the weather, seeing as though it changes by the hour but especially considering the 4-7 inches of snow that could cover the ground by kickoff.

The weather may be cold, but Brian Urlacher has been on fire and is one to look out for in Sunday’s matchup vs. the Patriots. Urlacher was credited with 18 tackles against the Lions last week and helped hold the Lions to just 53 offensive plays.

The Patriots have won 20 of their last 21 games against NFC opponents but will be facing a Bears defense that is ranked third in the NFL for giving up just 16 points per game. New England quarterback Tom Brady has not thrown an interception in his last seven games, totaling 17 touchdown passes since his last in week 6 against Baltimore. That shouldn’t frighten the Bears, especially after breaking Michael Vick’s sack-less streak in a 31-26 win over the Eagles.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has definitely improved throughout the season, and has had a lot of help from Matt Forte. Forte has averaged 79.2 rushing yards in the last five games and could be the difference against the Patriots who will be missing their third-leading tackler, Brandon Spikes. Spikes was suspended for the last four games of the regular season by New England for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The last meeting between the Bears and the Patriots ended in a 17-13 deficit for Chicago. They have also lost the last two meetings with the Patriots during the Brady area but have won seven of their last eight December home games. You can see the double-edged sword here.

Bundle up if you’re headed out as the Bears look to continue their win streak and improve their 9-3 record at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday. Wind chill readings could reach around 25 below, maybe it’ll be a good day to hunker down in your sports den?

By Angie Wiatrowski