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Three of Next Four Games May Give Bears a True Barometer of 2009 Team
Written by Brett Solesky   
Monday, 12 October 2009 01:57
RB Cedric BensonWith the first quarter of the 2009 season out of the way, and the Bears coming off the bye week it's safe to look ahead and what the second quarter of the season brings.  While it may be a bit premature to call any of the next four games a must win game for the Bears, the strength of three of the teams the Bears face in the next four games is becoming quite apparent.  The Falcons, Bengals, and Cardinals look like they could be playoff caliber teams in 2009. 

The next two games played against two teams that may represent the Bears' stiffest test they have faced all season will be road contests.  The Falcons and Bengals have only lost a single game a piece and have stepped up and shown that they can beat some of the better teams in the league to this point in the season. 

The record of the Bears' first four opponents only the Steelers have a winning record to this point, and they haven't beaten a team with a winning record as of yet.  So there is no way to really gauge how good the Seelers are until they start to show some of that swagger they had from last season.  It was a solid win for the Bears, unquestionably but if the playoffs were to start today the Steelers would be on the outside looking in.  A far cry from the team that finished with only three losses all of last year. 

QB Matt RyanThe first major test the Bears face is against the Atlanta Falcons, who just dispatched of the much improved San Francisco 49ers today, 45-10.  The Falcons' record much like the Bears does not include an overly impressive win.  The Falcons defeated only one team with a winning record to this point, the 49ers.  They did however thump the 49ers and Atlanta did beat the Bears with a last second field goal barely a year ago. 

The Falcons are also a very strong home team, playing in the comforts of their very loud fans inside their dome.  This will be the first major test for both teams, although it will truly be able to show where the Bears are at on defense.  The Falcons are a threat to put points up on the board as evidenced by their showing today.  They have strong balance in their rushing and passing attacks.  The most intriguing aspect is the weapons they have on offense with receiver Roddy White and newly acquired future hall of fame TE Tony Gonzales combined with the rushing of Michael Turner. 

The Bears however will have a bit of revenge on their minds after the last second lost to the Falcons from a year ago.  The Bears have also substantially improved their pass rush from a year ago.  The Bears' pass rush may be the key element in the game if the Bears hope to come up with the victory in the Georgia dome. 

Immediately following the game against Atlanta, the Bears must shift their attention to what is becoming known as Benson Bowl.  Cedric Benson is among the top rushers in the league in total yards to this point in 2009.  Benson was the first RB to put up over 100-yards on the vaunted Baltimore Ravens' defense since 2006.  Benson today racked up 120 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown.   Much like the Bears will be out for revenge against the Falcons, it's safe to say Benson will be extra motivated to face the team that drafted him and then cut him after his arrest during the off-season (charges were later dropped against Benson).

Plus with the recent death of the wife of Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer the Bengals will likely be playing with emotion for the rest of the season.  Given that football is a game of emotion, the Bengals will assuredly be ready to play with two emotional aspects to this battle between two teams that have only a single loss at this point in the season.  The Bengals' only loss is to the undefeated Denver Broncos, and they have proven more than capable of playing against tough teams having beat the Baltimore Ravens on the road this season. 

The Bears then face a trap game against the Cleveland Browns, a home game sandwiched between games against teams that could be headed to the playoffs.  The Browns are one of the worst teams in the NFL right now.  Unquestionably the problems with the Browns right now are well documented.  But the Bears cannot afford to overlook any team on any given Sunday.  The Browns are just that type of team, a team backed into a corner with not a lot to play for but pride.  The win less Browns will likely be trying to avoid a complete and dismal season by the time they arrive in Chicago.  Any team playing for pride is always dangerous, no matter how hapless they seem.  Look no further than the final game of the season against the Houston Texans. 

After the Browns the Bears face the Arizona Cardinals in the eighth game of the season.  The last time the Bears faced the Cardinals the game didn't go so well.  Yes the Bears came away with a thrilling come from behind victory, but the Cardinal offense put a pretty good beating on the 2006 Chicago Bears defense.  The Cardinals also played without Larry Fitzgerald in that game so it will be interesting to see how well the Bears match up with a team that can throw the ball all over the field. 

WR Larry FitzgeraldThe Cardinals are not a team to be taken lightly with the way they can put up points on the board and stop the run.  The Cardinals are second in the league at stopping the run, and will likely be fighting for their playoff lives by the team they get to  Chicago.  The Cardinals currently have a 2-2 record and will be motivated to avenge that 2006 loss.  Given that the Cardinals were the NFC Champions last year, there should be no overlooking this fire power passing attack.  The Bears and Cardinals could be fighting for a wild card playoff spot later in the season, if both aren't still standing in second place in their divisions towards the end of the season, as they stand now.  A win in game eight will be much closer to a must win game, than any game the Bears have in the next three games.

The fact of the matter is the Bears won't be able to take any of the teams lightly over the next four games in the first half the 2009 schedule.  The first two are likely the true barometers of just how good this team can be, while the next two games the Bears will have to be ready for if they manage to continue their winning streak.  If the Bears beat both the Falcons and Bengals they will have to not get cocky and  screw up what could be two winnable games at home against the  Browns and Cardinals.
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