The Bears look to bounce back this week after a devastating 34-14 loss to Minnesota last week. A win last Sunday would have put the Bears at the top of the NFC North. Now they sit a game behind Minnesota.

The Bears offense has been struggling since the injury to quarterback Kyle Orton’s ankle. Chicago was averaging 27.9 points in their first eight games of the season but has been held to 14 or less in three of their last four. Orton struggled through the game against the Vikings, finishing 11/29 with 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions in the second half, ruining a record streak of 206 straight passes without a pick. Orton threw for 903 yards, five touchdowns, no picks, and he had a passer rating of 106.2 before the injury. His rating has dropped to 61.2 in the three games since returning.

Jacksonville has been a huge disappointment this year at 4-8 after going 11-5 in 2007. They now sit seven games behind Tennessee in the AFC South.

These two teams have not faced each other since Jacksonville’s 22-3 win at home in December of 2004.

Consistency will be the key to this game for the Bears. Both offense and defense have to step things up and play hard through the entire game.

The offense needs to establish the running game early. Look for running back Matt Forte to once again put up big numbers both on the ground and in the air. Orton needs to maintain possession of the ball. The Bears cannot afford any turnovers in this game or the rest of the season. Orton really has to find his groove and make big plays, the way he did prior to his injury. The offense has to hang on to the ball, running down the clock and giving the defense a rest.

There is no better defense than the Bears when they play at their full potential, and Chicago must do so to win this game. Chicago’s rush defense is the sixth-best in the league but has been very inconsistent in the last four games. They must bring a lot of pressure and force the throw to be successful this week and the last few games of the season.

The cold weather and home field gives the Bears a bit of an advantage, so the Bears should win this one.

Score Prediction: Chicago 24, Jacksonville 13

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