Chris Jordan Sunday winners ...
300♦ PACKERS - If the Bears' already lethargic running game could only manage 3.2 yards per rush against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league - last week against St. Louis - what do you think is going to take place when arch-rival Green Bay arrives at Soldier Field with the league's No. 1 overall defense? I've seen all the headlines ... "mission statement" and "must-win" and "arch-rivalry" ... none of it matters when the Packers tune up that defense. And anyway, if all those key phrases for this clash are true, couldn't it go Green Bay's way as well?
I realize Chicago coach Lovie Smith has an amazing record against the Packers, as he's never been swept by the Packers alternating split series' or sweeping them the past five seasons. And since the Bears lost the season opener, one might believe he'll have his troops ready for the Pack in this meeting.
I doubt it. The Bears could barely get past the Lambs, er, the Rams, last week. Now you expect them to stop the league's fifth-best quarterback? Seeing how the Packers' then-unestablished defense picked off Jay Cutler in Week 1 of the season, can the Bears honestly think the passing game will be the answer today?
I say no all around, as the Packers have hit their stride and are riding a four-game win streak and long gone is the memory of becoming Tampa Bay's only victim this season. Meanwhile, the Bears have lost six of eight and will likely miss the playoffs for the third straight year since their Super Bowl run. They're dinged up, and that won't help either.
This one could be over by halftime.
300♦ TEXANS - Think about this wisely, the line on a mediocre football team that has lost four straight is sitting on -7 points. Strange, huh? Well, maybe not so much when you look at the fact two of those losses by the Texans came against Indianapolis, one came against a suddenly red-hot Titans team and last week at Jacksonville it was against a scrappy Jags squad.
So here come the Seahawks, who have won two straight, but those wins were against the Rams and Niners. In fact, while the Seahakws might be 3-4 in their last seven games, make note the third win was against Detroit. But the four losses came against Arizona twice, Dallas and Minnesota. And three of those four were on the road.
Thus, you take the 'Hawks on the road and put 'em up against a decent team, they're likely going to fold. Make note, the Seahawks have not won a road game outside of the division since 2007.
The Texans can still clinch their first winning season in franchise history by winning the rest of their games. And for as bad as the non-first place AFC teams have played, who knows if the playoffs are out of the question.
There's a reason this line is so big, and I'm laying it knowing the Titans still have some things to play for.
300♦ COWBOYS - Speaking of strange lines, I had to double take the Pokes-Bolts line today. I did buy the half-point down to -3, and advise you to do the same thing. But again, we have a situation in which the oddsmakers are telling you which team is going to win by making the Cowboys the favorite. There's just too much talk about "what about the Cowboys in December," and "how about the Bolts in December." I am not buying into that and will lay a field goal here.
I'm looking for an aggressive pass rush to take advantage of a bit-banged up San Diego offensive line. The Cowboys have to keep pressure on Philip Rivers all day, frustrating him enough to make bad decisions, which in turn would result in costly turnovers.
A good indicator in this one will be who wins in the first quarter. During a seven-game win streak, the Chargers have outscored their opponents 52-7 in the first quarter. Conversely, the Cowboys have given up a mere 20 points in the first, their stingiest quarter no doubt about it.
The Bolts played in Cleveland last week, and are now back on the highway for the second of back-to-back road games. In such situations, the Bolts are 5-13 this decade. This is the week they hit the wall.
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