BLUE 1,026 Posted October 17, 2014 By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer (AP) -- The Chicago Bears have shown they can win on the road. Now, they must do the same at home. The Bears look to avoid going 0-3 at Soldier Field for the first time in 10 years Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Chicago (3-3) avoided a third straight defeat and improved to 3-1 away from home with a 27-13 win at Atlanta last Sunday. Jay Cutler threw for 381 yards - his most with the Bears - Matt Forte recorded 157 total yards and two rushing scores and a banged-up defense held the Falcons to 287 yards and one TD. "We've seen signs in the first six weeks of the season of the type of team we can be and the way we can play the game," coach Marc Trestman said. Not many of those positive signs have come along Chicago's lakefront. The Bears average 26.5 points and have a plus-6 turnover margin on the road, but have totaled 37 points and are a minus-4 in that department in home defeats to Buffalo and Green Bay. They haven't dropped their first three at Soldier Field since 2004. Cutler has been the poster boy for Chicago's inconsistency. He's thrown nine touchdowns, two interceptions and has a 104.6 passer rating on the road. At home, Cutler has four TDs, four picks and a rating of 84.7. He's thrown three of those interceptions and has a 58.1 QB rating after halftime in Chicago. Forte, meanwhile, enters Week 7 leading the NFL in receptions (46) and is seventh in rushing yards (399). He's averaged 164.7 total yards in the last three games. Forte ran for 97 yards and the only touchdown in a 16-0 victory at Miami in 2010, Chicago's last shutout. The Bears' tall and physical receiving duo of ex-Dolphin Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery could pose a serious threat to 5-foot-10 Miami cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Brent Grimes after the pair combined for 11 receptions and 249 yards against the Falcons. "We've got to bring our A game," Finnegan said. "There are some difficulties because those guys are special." The Dolphins (2-3) rank eighth in the league against the pass allowing an average of 221.6 yards, but couldn't stop Aaron Rodgers from capping a 60-yard drive with a four-yard TD pass to Andrew Quarless with 3 seconds left in last Sunday's gut-wrenching 27-24 home defeat to Green Bay. "I think the Chicago Bears don't give a rip what happened against the Green Bay Packers," Finnegan said. "So we've got to go out there and give them our best." Embattled Miami coach Joe Philbin took responsibility after being questioned about his play selection when the Dolphins failed to run out the clock on their final drive, his use of two timeouts when the Packers had none on their winning drive and the coverage call on the last touchdown. "I have to do a better job, first and foremost," he said. "I'm the head coach. Philbin and the Dolphins move on without veteran running back Knowshon Moreno, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday. Moreno, who played in only three games, gained all but 14 of his 148 rushing yards in a season-opening 33-20 win over New England. Lamar Miller, the team leader with 330 rushing yards, is expected to get the bulk of the work and should be ready Sunday despite dealing with an unspecified injury this week. Undrafted rookie Damien Williams also is expected to see action. "We've got some good running backs here, and we can get the job done," said Miller, who was held to 53 yards on 14 carries last week but has three TDs in two games. Miami ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing (136.2 yards per game) and third in yards per carry (4.97) but faces a Chicago defense that's allowed 188 and 3.24 per attempt in the last three contests. Despite starting linebackers Shea McClellin (hand), Lance Briggs (rib), D.J. Williams (neck) and top backup Jon Bostic (back) all out, the Bears held the Falcons to 42 yards on the ground. It's uncertain if any of those defenders will be available for this contest. Chicago's Willie Young will be on the field after recording two sacks last Sunday to take over the NFL lead with seven. Miami's Ryan Tannehill was sacked once in the last two games after being taken down eight times in the previous two. Tannehill, who ranks near the bottom of the league in completion percentage (60.8) and passer rating (81.5), has thrown four TDs but three picks in the last two contests. He's completed 60.9 percent of his passes and has five TDs, six INTs and a 76.6 rating while going 0-4 on the road against NFC opponents. Source: Hosted.Stats.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted October 17, 2014 It's weird that the Bears can't win at home, but you have to expect their fortunes to change against the Phins. Could definitely go either way, but I do love seeing a trend form. 31 27 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted October 19, 2014 Dolphins declared WR Brandon Gibson, DB Jimmy Wilson, OG Shelley Smith, OT Jason Fox, DT Anthony Johnson, OG Billy Turner, and TE Gator Hoskins inactive for Week 7 against the Bears. Gibson (hamstring, probable) is basically a healthy scratch. Rookie Jarvis Landry has pulled away from Gibson for slot duties, and Gibson doesn't play special teams. This will be Gibson's final year in Miami after ex-GMJeff Ireland handed him a three-year, $9.755 million deal two springs ago. Samson Satele will start at center for the Dolphins, with Mike Pouncey likely playing right guard. Bears declared WLB Lance Briggs, FS Chris Conte, DB Terrance Mitchell, S Ahmad Dixon, LB Jon Bostic, OL Charles Leno, and DE Trevor Scott inactive for Week 7 against the Dolphins. Khaseem Greene will start on the weak side in place of Briggs. Brock Vereen will make the start at free safety. The Bears are relatively healthy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bay 2,003 Posted October 19, 2014 Same thing applies here. Wimped out on picking Miami. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butta54 371 Posted October 19, 2014 -Cutler has great upside and big plays, but his negative plays are just too frequent and too easy to correct. I wasn't very confident in him before, but we have to start doing something. He can't have the green light in this offense anymore. -Mel Tucker NEEDS to be fired. We have two physical press corners who no longer press! We play press-bail or we just play off coverage. The free releases have been killing us and the Dolphins are using that to their advantage. The middle of the field has been wide open all year because the LBs have no idea what their assignments are. The player talent is in place...the scheme is terrible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bay 2,003 Posted October 19, 2014 Cam Wake, Randy Starks, Jared Odrick, Olivier Vernon, Brent Grimes, Reshad Jones. Legit. Not sure if the LBers are good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted October 20, 2014 I know the main reaction to this game will be "lolBears," but whenever we talk about young, rising star QBs, Ryan Tannehill is always left out of the conversation. I think it's time to bring him in; Miam's offensive line isn't terrible anymore, Mike Wallace is catching a TD every week, and Jarvis Landry is breaking out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted October 20, 2014 Ryan Tannehill always has worse stats than his actual talent shows. If the Dolphins can break into the playoffs, maybe we can throw his name into the ring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted October 20, 2014 So glad to hear that Brandon Marshall went off on his teammates or coaches after this game. Dude brings it every week on one damn leg and his teammates continue to let him down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch 874 Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) -Cutler has great upside and big plays, but his negative plays are just too frequent and too easy to correct. I wasn't very confident in him before, but we have to start doing something. He can't have the green light in this offense anymore. Cutler has great upside? I think we've seen the best of Cutler already. He's been in the league for 9 years and has an all star receiving core that any QB would dream to have. If he can't make that work, I don't know what can. There is no reason why the Bears shouldn't be the #1 offense in the league with the weapons they have. Edited October 20, 2014 by Dutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted October 20, 2014 First Name Peyton Last Name Manning. I'm sure he'd settle for second best, if he could even muster that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
