Week 11: San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ CHICAGO BEARS
Vegas Line: Chargers + 3.5

Rob’s Line: Chargers + 4.5

How can Vegas only ask Chicago to win by four points against a San Diego team in freefall? They’ve lost four in a row, but a closer look tells a slightly different story. They led 14-3 in New York before succumbing to the Jets, threw the game away in the last minute in Kansas City before finally going down in overtime and then lost a shootout to the Packers.
The latter could happen to anybody, but this team possesses an immense propensity to beat itself before their opponent does.
The Bears are greater than the sum of their parts whereas the complete opposite applies to the Chargers. However, San Diego is more than capable of winning this one from scratch and a crucial aspect of the matchup is the Chargers’ fourth ranked pass offense against the Bears’ 29th ranked pass defense. The weapons at Philip Rivers’ disposal is frightening and I can’t see any other option than for San Diego to try to win it through the air.
For a team on such a run as Chicago is right now, they don’t rank in the top twelve of any of the main statistical categories: I’m not counting special teams as part of that and returner Devin Hester takes care of business there anyway. This team is built around Matt Forte and for a running back to lead a team in receiving yards says one of two things. Either quarterback Jay Cutler has no faith in his receivers or he checks down way too early and just dumps the ball off. In the case of the Bears right now, it’s simply down to the fact that the more frequently you put the ball in Forte’s hands, the better chance you have of scoring. It’s an offensive philosophy that can’t work for every team, but Forte is a sublime football player who I hope doesn’t sign a new conract in Chicago and heads up to Seattle in free agency.
So, all the Chargers have to do is stop Forte, head home for Denver next Sunday at 5-5 and be in with a chance of the division crown all over again and a home playoff game. Easier said than done, but the Chargers plus more than a field goal start is tempting, despite their recent troubles.
This is a great matchup and one I hope to be watching as it promises to be a close one and a contrast in styles. Call me crazy in going totally against what form tells me, but I’m taking what is still a dangerous Charger outfit and the points on offer.

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