The Bears are up for a challenge next week when they welcome the Washington Redskins to Soldier Field. The Redskins are a pass-heavy offensive team that has been porous on defense thus far. The ‘Skins added quarterback Donovan McNabb to start during the offseason and he hasn’t shined so far. He has had a few big plays, but the general consensus is that he hasn’t been playing very well lately. Their running game has been decimated by injuries. Ryan Torain, a favorite of Coach Shanahan, is the current starter. Perhaps their biggest name in the passing game is Chris Cooley, who is a very solid tight end. Starting Wide Receivers Joey Galloway and Santana Moss provide plenty of speed. Moss is fourth in the NFL in catches, with 37.The Redskins offensive line features tackles Trent Williams, a first round draft pick, and Jammal Brown, who is very good. The Redskins rank 9th in the league in passing and 25th in rushing. The Redskins defense is susceptible to passing, as proven by being ranked 31st in passing yards allowed. They aren’t much better at defending the run either, ranking 24th in the league. They do have some budding stars in LaRon Landry and Brian Orakpo. Orakpo was a rookie linebacker in the 3-4 scheme last year and has had a great year so far. Safety LaRon Landry has played up to DPOY standards. Due to our pitiful line, we could be in for a long day with their 3-4 D bringing pressure. Their special teams is nothing to fear. The Skins are only 3-3, but knocked off the Packers and only lost by 3 to the Colts in the last two weeks. If they can generate a pass rush, the game sunday could be hard to watch.
My prediction: 21-17 Bears