Read More: Julius Peppers (DE – CHI), Lance Briggs (LB – CHI), Devin Hester (WR – CHI), Matt Toeaina (DT – CHI), Matt Forte (RB – CHI), D.J. Moore (CB – CHI), Gabe Carimi (OT – CHI), Anthony Walters (S – CHI), San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears injury report is out for their Week 11 matchup against the San Diego Chargers (4-5). The Bears (6-3) should have the services of All-Pro kick returner Devin Hester, who returned his12th punt for a touchdown last Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

Hester has been struggling with an ankle injury since the team’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10 and has been limited in practice throughout the week, but is listed as probable for Sunday.

The Bears star running back, Matt Forte, was also listed as probable after being limited in only Wednesday’s practice, and he should be able to play.

The defense should have defensive tackle Matt Toeaina back in the line rotation as Toeaina has practiced all week and was removed from the injury report this Friday. The Samoan starting lineman has been struggling with a knee injury this season, limiting him to six games this year.

Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs both made appearances on the injury report again this week, but since both have not missed any games despite their injuries in past weeks, it seems likely they will play again this week too.

Here is the full Bears Week 11 injury report, via their official website:

Chicago Bears			Wednesday (11/16/2011)	Thursday (11/17/2011)	Friday (11/18/2011)
Player	Pos.	Injury	Status	Status	Status
Anthony Walters	S	Knee	Out	Out
Chris Williams	G	Wrist	Out	Out
Gabe Carimi	T	Knee	Did not participate	Did not participate	Out (DNP)
Julius Peppers	DE	Knee	Did not participate	Full participation	Probable (FP)
Lance Briggs	LB	Neck	Limited participation	Full participation	Probable (FP)
Matt Forte	RB	Shoulder	Limited participation	Full participation	Probable (FP)
Devin Hester	WR	Ankle	Limited participation	Full participation	Probable (FP)
Matt Toeaina	DT	Knee	Full participation
D.J. Moore	CB	Ankle		Did not participate	Doubtful (DNP)

In week 10, I was a perfect 2-0 as both the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears won their games decisively. Rather than taking a moment to gloat however, I will look ahead to the games on tap for the NFC North division in week 11. Here we go.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Oakland Raiders:

Being that the Vikings have struggled this season, it would be difficult for me to predict them to win against any team at this juncture. This is especially true after watching them lose 45-7 to the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. On the other side, we have the Oakland Raiders, who are currently the only team in their division with a winning record at 5-4. While nothing about either team blows me away, I think the Raiders have enough talent to win against a Vikings’ team that has fallen on hard times this year.

Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers:

The Panthers lost to the Tennessee Titans last week while the Detroit Lions came up a bit short in Chicago. With the exception of last week, the Panthers were usually a team that played their opponents pretty close until the late stages of the game. After starting the season at 5-0, the Lions have dropped three of their last four games, so I expect them to come out playing with a sense of urgency. While the Lions are only 2-2 at home, they need to win this game to stay in the playoff hunt. With that being said, Detroit should win this one.

Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

It almost seems unfair to discuss this game because most of us already know what the outcome will be. Even though the Packers’ defense has been less than stellar, no has been able to hold their offense in check, which is a big reason as to why they are 9-0. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, have been an up and down team that plays well one week and not so great the next.

The Packers have averaged over 30 points per game and have won every contest by at least six points. While it is too early to starting discussing an undefeated season, they definitely will beat the Buccaneers this week. I’m going on record by saying they will win by at least 10 points.

Chicago Bears vs. San Diego Chargers:

A few weeks ago, the Chargers were sitting pretty at 4-2 while the Bears were at 2-3. Now it seems that the both teams have gone in opposite directions. The Chargers have dropped to 4-5, while the Bears have won four straight, including an impressive 37-13 romp over the Lions last week.

The Bears’ offensive line has come a long way since the beginning of the season. They have done a better job of protecting Jay Cutler(notes) and creating running lanes for Matt Forte(notes) as well. The defense has also been a force over the past few weeks, making Chicago a formidable opponent on both sides of the ball.

Despite the trends coming into this game, the final result could go either way with both teams fighting for playoff spots in their conference. While the Chargers have shown the ability to be explosive at times, I see the Bears extending their wining streak to five games.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area, who has been an NFL fan for over 20 years. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo! Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting discussions about the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Source:

Week 11 Scores and Predictions

http://espn.go.com/nfl/schedule#10

http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings

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As my co-worker Phil Zaroo said via Twitter, “I think the #Lions will have a tape-burning session in Allen Park on Monday.” 

As cathartic as the act would be, there is certain to be some audible groaning when the team does review the film.

For our own benefit, let’s look at all the mistakes from the Detroit Lions’ 37-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. As you might imagine, this list is going to be quite long. I’m you’re just looking to move forward with you life, I strongly suggest skipping to the next article.

• Already facing a hole because of a holding call on first down, quarterback Matthew Stafford swung a bubble screen to Calvin Johnson on the outside. The receiver tried to cut back inside, but was unable to avoid Bears defensive end Julius Peppers, who wrapped the receiver up around the neck and brought him violently down to the turf. The hit also forced Johnson to drop the ball – a fumble that was recovered by the Bears – ending a Lions’ opening drive.
• On 2nd-and-8 on the Bears ensuing possession, the Lions stopped running back Matt Forte on a screen pass, setting up what would have been a 3rd-and-5 at the 25-yard line, but Kyle Vanden Bosch was flagged for a late hit on Forte, giving the Bears a first down at the 12. The Lions have been good on third down this year, and could have held Chicago to a field goal. Instead, the Bears punched it into the end zone two plays later to take a 7-0 lead.
• Another fumble, this time by Nate Burleson, derailed the Lions’ second drive. Burleson caught a hitch route near the right sideline at the Lions 46, and made a move on cornerback Tim Jennings to pick up another 10 yards. But as Burleson, avoided a second tackle, Jennings recovered to punch the ball out from behind.
• On a 2nd-and-10 run, near midfield, Forte is forced out of bounds after a six-yard gain. Instead of facing a third down, the Bears are awarded a first after defensive end Cliff Avril is flagged for a face mask. The penalty moved the Bears into field-goal range, where they extend their lead to 10-0 with 4:42 to go in the first quarter.
• On a quick in route from the slot, Johnson dropped his first of three passes on the day. It would have only been a 4-7 yard gain on first down, but Detroit failed to convert on second and third down, forcing them to punt.
• Early in the second quarter, trailing 13-0, the Lions designed a nice screen pass for Maurice Morris. Stafford ran play-action, first to Morris up the gut, then to Burleson, running in motion from right to left. The Bears defense focused on Burleson as Morris leaked out to the right flat with three blockers. Unfortunately for Morris, he ran into Jeff Backus and fell to the ground, allowing Stafford’s pass to fall incomplete. Who knows what would of happened, but there was a lot of open field and plenty of Lions blockers to believe Morris missed out on a huge play.
• It’s fair to ask why anyone would kick to Devin Hester, but if you were to kick to him, Robert Malone’s punt in the second quarter was about as good as it gets. The fill-in punter booted the ball 60 yards, forcing Hester to scramble back nearly 20 yards and attempt to haul it in over his shoulder. The returner then proceeded to drop the ball, yet it didn’t provide enough time for the Lions to stop him. Hester returned it 82 yards, with only Malone getting a hand on him. This should solidify any doubt that you should always punt out of bounds against the Bears.
• On Detroit’s next possession, 2nd-and-10, Johnson dropped his second pass. This one, on a hitch route, hit him right in the hands and would have been a first down. Instead the Lions were forced to punt.
• Chicago gifted the ball back to Detroit when Cutler fumbled the ball on the first snap of the drive. Starting in the red zone, the Lions opened with an eight-yard run from Morris, but immediately stalled, settling for a field goal. On 3rd-and-2, Stafford got Johnson in single-coverage on the outside, but sailed an attempt out of his big wide receiver’s reach.
• Still down 20-3, the Lions go three-and-out after Titus Young drops a second-down pass, and Calvin Johnson runs his third-down route a yard short of the sticks.

• After Stafford led a solid drive down to the Chicago 18 – going 6-9 along the way -the quarterback was sacked on first down. Facing 2nd-and-15, Stafford fed a beautiful pass to Johnson in the seam after the wideout ran an out-and-up from the slot. The ball hit Johnson in the hands at the six-yard line, but he wasn’t able to maintain possession after being hit by Charles Tillman. It was Johnson’s third drop of the first half.

  Stafford actually picked up the first down with a third-down completion to tight end Brandon Pettigrew, but the Lions again stalled deep in the red zone. On first down, Young and Johnson collided, taking both out of the play as Stafford’s pass was nearly intercepted. On second down, Stafford overthrew another fade attempt to Johnson. And on third down, Stephen Peterman was badly beaten by Peppers, who gobbled up Stafford for the sack.

• Toward the end of the half, Cliff Avril forced a fumble that was ruled an incomplete pass. The play was reviewed and ruling was reversed, but since no Detroit Lions player immediately recovered the football during the play, the possession stayed with Chicago. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley and cornerback Chris Houston were both in the vicinity of the loose ball, but neither thought to pick it up off the ground. Honestly, it’s tough to fault the players on this one, but you can bet they’ll be coached to pick up every loose football from this point on in case of a similar situation.
• Despite being grossly outplayed in the first half, the Lions were only down two scores (20-6) when they forced a three-and-out to start the third quarter. But things unraveled quickly, starting on a 2nd-and-8 play, where Stafford seemed to be throwing to a different spot than where tight end Tony Scheffler was running his route. The result was a pick-six and a 21-point deficit.
• Things went from bad to worse as Stafford threw another pick-six on the Lions’ next drive – this one to Charles Tillman. This pushed the Bears lead to 34-6.
• Detroit’s next drive is derailed on a 3rd-and-4, when Stafford missed Scheffler on a post route from the slot. Scheffler did a nice job absorbing the contact from the defensive back near the line of scrimmage and getting separation to the inside, but Stafford’s sidearm throw was out of the reach of his tight end.
• The Lions bottled up Forte all day, but allowed the back to get free for a 40-yard gain in the third-quarter. The Bears blocked the play well at the line of scrimmage, and used a pulling guard to pick up linebacker DeAndre Levy to give Forte the lane on the left side. Safety Louis Delmas came up and had a one-on-one shot at Forte five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, but whiffed on a diving attempt.
• Down 37-6 in the third quarter, the Lions offense kept fighting, and worked it down into Bears red zone once again. Detroit had four shots from the 11-yard line, but failed to punch it in. On first down, Johnson ran a post, but Stafford led him a bit far and the receiver was unable to make the diving catch. This is a pass Johnson usually catches, but not a pass you can label a drop. This incompletion is on Stafford. On second down, there was a communication breakdown as Stafford’s pass went one way and Johnson went another. On third down, Scheffler dropped a perfectly placed touchdown pass on a post route. And on fourth down, Stafford locked on, and tried to force it to, Johnson in the middle of the field, surrounded by three defenders, despite having Pettigrew wide open.

• The Lions found themselves in the red zone again late in middle of the fourth quarter, but again couldn’t finish. On 2nd-and-10 from the Chicago 13, Nate Burleson ran a nice stutter-and-go route from the slot. Recognizing the safety had vacated his spot, Stafford laid a nice pass over the top. It hit Burleson in the hands, but the receiver couldn’t haul it in.

  On the next play, Stafford again tried to force it to Johnson, this time lobbing one off his back foot, into triple coverage. The pass came up woefully short and was intercepted by cornerback Corey Graham. Even if Johnson had managed to come down with the poor throw, it would have been negated by a holding call.

Yeah, that’s a lot of miscues, mental errors and bad plays. There were some positives in the game, especially the play of the defense, but the Lions have to clean up these elementary mistakes from all three units. They’re not going to win many football games committing dumb penalties, dropping first down and touchdown passes and recklessly turning the ball over. 

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, the tape can be burned. 

CHICAGO (AP)—Even at their lowest point, the Chicago Bears kept insisting
they weren’t ready to fade away. If there were any doubts, this should erase
them.

Charles Tillman(notes) and Major Wright(notes) returned interceptions for touchdowns early
in the third quarter, and Chicago picked off Matthew Stafford(notes) four times to beat
the Detroit Lions 37-13 Sunday in a heated game.

“It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t quiet,” Bears quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) said.
“I know that. That’s just how it is.”

Either way, it was another big step for the Bears.

“We knew that we could do it,” cornerback D.J. Moore(notes) said. “We just have
to keep winning.”

If they keep this up, Philip Rivers(notes) could be in for a long day when the San
Diego Chargers visit Soldier Field next weekend.

Stafford certainly had a miserable time.

The four interceptions matched his season total entering the game and helped
knock the Lions (6-3) into a second-place tie with the Bears in the NFC North.
Stafford was also involved in a skirmish that led to Moore’s ejection early in
the fourth quarter.

By then, the Bears (6-3) had locked up their fourth straight win thanks to a
dominant defense and another punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester(notes), who
ran one back 82 yards. That extended his NFL record for punt-return TDs to 12
and combined kick-return touchdowns to 17.

Julius Peppers(notes) and Tim Jennings(notes) forced turnovers on Detroit’s first two
possessions, leading to a touchdown and field goal by Chicago. Wright and
Tillman returned interceptions for touchdowns on the Lions’ first two
possessions of the second half to put game out of reach.

In between turnover binges, Hester caused his usual havoc before leaving
with an undisclosed illness.

For a guy who was listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, Hester
sure looked good while he was in the game. He had already set up a field goal by
Robbie Gould(notes) in the opening seconds of the second quarter with a 29-yard punt
return before his long TD return along the left sideline, giving the Bears a
20-0 lead.

Coach Lovie Smith called it a “gutsy effort by him,” but it was an
impressive performance all around.

The idea that the Bears would be tied with the Lions seemed far-fetched
after their 24-13 Monday night loss at Ford Field last month, but the teams have
gone in different directions since.

“We had a lot riding on this game,” Smith said. “NFC division game at
home we just couldn’t afford another loss. We’ve gotten better and better each
week.”

Detroit has dropped three of four after winning its first five, and this one
was brutal—particularly for Stafford and Calvin Johnson(notes).

Johnson had 81 yards on seven catches with Tillman locking him down.

Stafford, playing with a fractured finger in his right hand, completed 33 of
63 passes for 329 yards, and any shot the Lions had at a comeback ended when
Wright and Tillman picked him off early in the third.

Wright returned his interception 24 yards and Tillman ran his back 44 yards
for TDs that made it 34-6, sending the Lions to their first road loss after they
won their first four away from Ford Field.

Stafford said the finger wasn’t really a factor, but the strong wind was.

Things really got chippy early in the fourth quarter after Stafford threw
his third interception. Jennings picked him off and got shoved hard out of
bounds by Nate Burleson(notes). While that unfolded, Stafford grabbed Moore by the
helmet and threw him to the ground, setting off a confrontation involving
players from both teams that ultimately led to Moore’s ejection.

“When you are going after my livelihood, my neck, and you’re trying to hurt
me, I just can’t let that go,” Moore said.

Stafford said he wasn’t trying to injure Moore.

“He kind of blocked me and I was just trying to get him off me best I knew
how,” Stafford said. “And I guess he didn’t like the way I did it. He wanted
to ask me about it.”

There was also some tension earlier in the game.

Cutler had his helmet ripped off by Ndamukong Suh(notes) after a run, and he got
slammed to the ground by Nick Fairley(notes) on a late hit in the third quarter.

And a few plays before Jennings’ interception, Chicago’s Lance Briggs(notes) had a
hard hit on Johnson.

Notes: Smith said LG Chris Williams was undergoing surgery Sunday after
leaving the game with a wrist injury. … Tillman tied Mike Brown(notes) and Bennie
McRae for the club record with his fourth career interception return for a
touchdown. He has 28 interceptions and ranks fourth on the Bears’ all-time list.
… Peppers had an 11-yard sack on third down at the six that forced Detroit to
kick a field goal in the second quarter. … The Lions had won six straight road
games dating back to last season.