*** NFL Preview - Chicago (1-1) at NY Jets (1-1) ***
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The New York Jets will continue a three-game stretch
against NFC North foes when they welcome Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears to
MetLife Stadium for a "Monday Night Football" matchup.
A week ago, both the Bears and Jets were involved in dramatic comebacks.
Chicago erased a 17-point deficit en route to ruining the San Francisco 49ers'
regular-season debut at Levi's Stadium and ending a 30-year hex against the
Niners in Northern California.
Jay Cutler tossed three of his four touchdown passes in the game to Brandon
Marshall as the Bears rallied for a 28-20 victory.
San Francisco opened up a 17-0 second-quarter lead, but Chicago outscored the
49ers 28-3 from the one-minute mark of that second frame on to win its first
game on the road against the 49ers since 1985. The Bears had dropped eight in
a row in San Francisco's former home of Candlestick Park by an average margin
of 34-6 prior to the Week 2 tilt.
"The defense did a great job giving us short fields, causing turnovers and
keeping it close enough so that we could get back in it," Cutler said.
New York, meanwhile, was on the other end of a big comeback as it watched the
Green Bay Packers storm back from a 21-3 hole en route to dropping a 31-24
decision at Lambeau Field.
Jets second-year QB Geno Smith finished 16-for-32 for 176 yards with a
touchdown and an interception, and also had 26 yards and a touchdown on the
ground for Rex Ryan's club, which opened its season with a home win over
Oakland.
Eric Decker caught the touchdown pass before leaving with a sore hamstring
while Chris Ivory ran in one touchdown in the loss.
"We did a lot of good things but it's all about winning," said Smith, who has
two passing TDs and one rushing in 2014. "We've got to get better and we've
got areas to improve on. I trust my teammates and coaches and know that we're
going to prepare hard this week to go out and win on Monday night."
Perhaps the most disappointing part of the Jets' loss in the Badger State was
the fact that Smith hooked up with Jeremy Kerley on what looked like a 36-yard
TD pass with about five minutes left which would have deadlocked the game
pending the extra point, a development rendered moot because offensive
coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was signaling for timeout just before the snap.
"As a team, you go and you learn from this," Ryan said. "I've seen some teams
that, when you have a game like this, it can turn your season on a positive
note. That's certainly the way I hope we respond to this game."
Mornhinweg admitted he did yell for the timeout, prompting defensive lineman
Sheldon Richardson to get the official's attention, something which shouldn't
have happened because NFL rules state the head coach is the only one on the
sideline who is allowed to call timeout.
Nevertheless Mornhinweg, perhaps best known for refusing the ball after
winning an overtime coin toss while the head coach in Detroit during a 2002
game against Chicago, accepted blame for the fiasco.
"First of all, I want to make it crystal clear everything that goes on
offensively is my responsibility, period," Mornhinweg said Monday. "I've got
to do a better job of communicating and trusting 'Big Geno.' I've got to trust
Geno to get everything fixed before the 40-second (play) clock. That's the
scenario."
Mornhinweg also shielded Richardson, the 2013 NFL Defensive Rookie of the
Year.
"Sheldon needs to take no accountability for that," Mornhinweg said. "He was
only trying to help. It's just that simple. And I want to make sure everything
that goes on offensively is my responsibility, so I've got to do a better job
with the communication."
Chicago leads its all-time series with the Jets by a 7-3 margin, including a
38-34 triumph the last time the two teams tangled back on Dec. 26, 2010. Bears
running back Matt Forte rushed for 113 yards and a TD in that one while Cutler
threw for 215 yards and three scores.
Both franchises are under water while appearing on "Monday Night Football,"
with Chicago amassing a 27-35 mark and New York compiling a 20-27 record over
the years.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
On paper the Bears' passing game versus the Jets' secondary looks like a
serious mismatch in Chicago's favor.
New York's defensive backfield allowed Aaron Rodgers and Co. 346 yards through
the air and three touchdowns despite the return of perceived top cornerback
Dee Milliner from a high ankle sprain.
Milliner, however, was burned, along with rookie safety Calvin Pryor, by
Rodgers and Jordy Nelson for an 80-yard score and he remains hampered by the
ankle which leaves converted safety Antonio Allen and the nondescript Darrin
Walls as the top options to match up with All-Pro caliber talent like Marshall
and Alshon Jeffery.
Helping matters a little bit is the fact that both Marshall (ankle) and
Jeffery (hamstring) are playing with injuries and aren't nearly as explosive
as they usually are, something that hampered the Bears mightily between the
20s against the 49ers.
Cutler figured out, though, that when he's in the red zone, he can just throw
it up and his lengthy receivers, which also include 6-foot-6 tight end
Martellus Bennett, can go up and get the football.
"This kid (Cutler) might have (one of) the strongest arms in the league and
(as well as) the kid next week (Detroit's Matthew Stafford)," Ryan said. "He's
got a feel for knowing how to step inside (the pocket). He'll drop back and
step up and find passing lanes. That's more his thing, but he is athletic
enough where he'll take off with it as well."
Limiting Cutler's chances means the Jets' Smith must play a clean game and
not allow the Bears' plus field position at any time, a tactic which could be
helped by the fact that big-play Chicago corner Charles Tillman was lost for
the season in Week 2 after rupturing his right triceps. The 33-year-old, two-
time Pro Bowler's 2013 campaign ended in similar fashion with a torn triceps.
"I know this feeling way too well, but this isn't the end of the road for me,"
Tillman said. "As I rehab my injury, my role will transition to helping coach
and support my teammates."
For one week at least Tillman wasn't missed as his replacement, rookie first-
round pick Kyle Fuller, came on and recorded six tackles and two interceptions
against San Francisco, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
As a whole though Chicago remains very banged up. In addition to Marshall and
Jeffery playing hurt, the Bears were without two starters on the offensive
in Week 2 -- center Roberto Garza (ankle) and left guard Matt Slauson (ankle)
-- and the defense lost two other starters besides Tillman, tackle Jeremiah
Ratliff (concussion) and safety Chris Conte (shoulder). Meanwhile, star pass
rusher Jared Allen is dealing with a balky back.
The Jets are concerned that Milliner and Decker may not make it but having the
extra day helps.
Another interesting storyline in this game is the return of receiver Santonio
Holmes to north Jersey. The ex-Super Bowl MVP's stay with the Jets ended badly
and he is currently trying to fit in as a backup behind Marshall and Jeffery
in Chicago.
"He looks pretty good," Ryan said. "They've got him playing outside a little
bit more (than) the slot. He comes in as their third receiver but they put
that big dude inside most of the time, Brandon Marshall. So again, he does a
lot of things. He gives you some flexibility to play outside and inside. He
looks pretty good."
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Bears go as Cutler goes. He ended with a 119.2 passer rating against San
Francisco, a sure sign of success. Cutler's teams are 29-3 when he crosses
that 100.0 barrier so the Jets have to find a way to disrupt his rhythm,
something that should be easier with the injuries hampering his offensive
line and receivers.
That said, the Jets just don't have the horses in the secondary to keep this
team down for a full 60 minutes.
Tonight's game can be heard on Newstalk 1060 with the Pre-Game Show at 7.
