This Week's Keys to Victory for the Chicago Bears

The San Diego Chargers come calling this week and the two teams are going in different directions.

The Chargers are losers of four-straight while the Bears have won their last four. It's not foolish to say this is a must-win game for San Diego.  

For the second week in a row, the Bears are facing a team that is extra rested—San Diego's last game was nine days ago, when they lost to Oakland 24-17 on Thursday Night Football.

Phillip Rivers leads the NFL in turnovers with 15 interceptions and four lost fumbles. The Bears defense has nabbed 13 interceptions this season and has forced eight fumbles, recovering seven of them. The Bears are also tied for the league lead with four defensive TDs.  

Now on to the keys:

Turnovers

This is the first key for many of the points I made above. You have a quarterback who has been giving the ball away against a defense that has been thriving on taking it away. Not a good combo if you are San Diego. This trend needs to continue this week.

Matt Forte

San Diego comes in with the 23rd ranked rush defense, yielding 127.9 yards per game and five touchdowns on the year. Opponents are averaging 4.5 yards per carry against them. A steady diet of Matt Forte on Sunday and this trend will continue, especially considering San Diego is the 6th best against the pass this year, only allowing 203 yards per game.

Keep Cutler clean

For those of you who follow my blog, this is familiar. Give him time and he is as good as there is. If you don't, then he tends to be a lot less effective. If the Bears can get Forte going, this will open things up in the passing game. When that happens, we need to protect him.  

Cutler has been great during the Bears' current winning streak, even if the numbers are not eye popping. It comes as no coincidence that he has only been sacked four times during that stretch.

Keep Rivers dirty

And not Detroit Lions dirty either. The Chargers have a world of hurt on their offensive line with the potential to be down three starters. Guard Kris Dielman was put on the IR this week; Guard Tyronne Green has yet to practice this week with a hand injury; and tackle Marcus McNeil has yet to practice with a neck injury.  

All things considered, the Chargers are banged up at best and thin on the depth chart at the worst. The Bears need to take advantage of this and get pressure on Rivers and force him make bad decisions. This will lead to turnovers and a win.

What are your keys to victory?

If the Bears can hit on these points, we will be celebrating five in a row on Monday. 

Jay Cutler is 1-4 lifetime against the Chargers and I think he will get one win closer to the .500 this week.  

My prediction? Bears in a romp (back-to-back) 34-13.  Give me your picks below and as always BEAR DOWN!