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The last time these two teams met was in the
2003 season when the game was settled by a future MVP. With less than a
minute left on the clock Shaun Alexander broke the tackle pictured left and
went in from 25 yards to seal a 24-17 victory. They were heady days for the
Seahawks who went 5-1 as opposed to the Bears 1-5 but the teams are more
closely matched this time around.
On paper they were the best two teams in the
NFC last season and this time around with both teams standing at 3-0 teams the
question is who will buckle under the pressure?
Readers will not be surprised to learn that the Bears Defense is currently
ranked 9th in the league. One stat that may surprise you is that their
Offense is ranked 6th in the NFL. Rex Grossman has a passer rating of 100.9,
conceded only 2 sacks but has yet to score a rushing TD.
The Seahawks high octane Offense currently ranks 22nd in the NFL with the
rapidly improving Defense at number 4. After week ones showing the offense
has been steadily improving & fed off a predatory Defensive display to score
42 points on the Giants on Sunday.
Do the numbers mean anything? You could argue that neither team has yet to
play anyone decent yet. The key to victory will be the performance of the
Seattle defense. Their ability to keep the score close will be critical to
the Seahawks cause. The Bears will be mindful of the explosive first half at
Qwest against the Giants & may chose to turn to a strangely unproductive
running game. Thomas Jones averages just 3.0 yards a carry so far. The
Seahawks may adopt the same philosophy as the last team to win there –
Carolina. They went for the jugular from the word go & the Bears would
struggle to play catch up from the 1st quarter.
The absence of Shaun Alexander may actually create more running room for his
replacement Mo Morris. With #37 being such a threat opponents have been
putting eight men in the box opening up the passing options. This option may
be the best for the visitors as it allows them to control the clock in what
looks set to be a Defensive slugfest.
It may come down to the Kickers at the death so Josh Brown will be happier
with the blocking on Field Goal attempts after two blocks in week one. The
weather will also have a say in this game as Chicago is not called the Windy
City for nothing.
If the Hawks can get a couple of early scores & hold their hosts to minimal
points then the another road victory could be in the bag. I’m going for a
Seattle Victory by 3.
The game is not live on TV in the UK. You can either watch or listen online
at the following locations:
Radio Link: http://www.nfl.com/fieldpass Subscription required.
Live Online Video Streaming: http://sports.yahoo.com/nflgamepass
Subscription required.
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