Patience -- I thought the play calling last week was a little too aggressive. The 49ers were willing to give Green Bay five-yard plays, but the Packers were getting greedy. They went for the jugular on a third and one. The Bears play a different scheme, but there similarities between the two defenses. For example, they tackle well and don’t give up big plays. Will the Packers be content with five-yard gains on second down?

Pass Protection -- The Bears rely on their ends. Julius Peppers is a beast and rookie Shea McClellin played well against Indy. However, the latter is somewhat overaggressive. I suspect Green Bay will run more screens tonight, though not to the extent that many of us hope they do. In addition, I expect more draws. It sounds irritating, considering last week, but this keeps the pass rush somewhat at bay. Also, Marshall Newhouse faces a huge test. The Bears will attack him with their premiere rushers.

Stop the Run -- We rag on the secondary, but the Packers were awful against the run. The duo of Michael Bush and Matt Forte is physical and Chicago will attempt to replicate the 49er formula. Plus, the Bears need to control the clock. Their defense is older and condition problems could arise, especially with Brian Urlacher.

Attack the Middle -- Urlacher can’t run with Jermichael Finley, so I suspect Rodgers will go after the Bear LB, especially if he’s in coverage with Finley. I also think they’ll loop Randall Cobb around out of the backfield. That’ll force a strong side backer or even a dropping end to hang with Cobb.

Turnovers -- Jay Cutler will force the issue. He does every game. The Packers must capitalize on this fact. The winner of the turnover battle often wins, but that‘s especially relevant in this series. The teams know each other well, so turnovers will tip the scale.

Pass Rush -- Clay Matthews played rejuvenated, but the 49ers were content with Joe Staley taking him man on man. The Bears will put two or possibly three blockers on him. That should clear the way for B.J. Raji, Jerel Worthy, Nick Perry, and D.J. Smith. Somebody needs to step up, forcing Chicago to make adjustments on the fly.

What are you guys watching for?

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Cheerleaders to strip and a good camera man that makes sure we see it ... all!



I'm hoping to see Sam Shields locked in at the other CB position, or at worst, Jarrett Bush. I think subbing them in and out hurts their progression.

I'm looking at the scoreboard at half time. If the Packers are trailing, I'm going to sleep early.

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What I will be watching far most is something I will be able to see very little of on the broadcast, and that is simply coverage. I am actually shocked at the difference in our coverage compared to the niners. The gaps we leave when handing off wide receivers from zone to zone are exactly why opposing quarterbacks can complete passes at will against us. I'm looking for tighter coverage, preferably man, and much better communication.

I'll be looking for Rodgers to not predetermine where his passes are going. Last week when he read a certain defense you could tell he already decided where he was going with the ball before the snap, didn't usually end well. I'm looking for smarter play calling on 3rd down. When its 3rd and 6, run a damn slant, don't throw it 60 yards.

I'll be looking at our defenders abilities to shed blocks, didn't seem to be doing it all that well last week.

I'll be looking for DJ to hog the tackles instead of AJ this week, I don't want to get fucked by AJ in fantasy again tonight, asshole.

We need to force a turnover or 2, otherwise we will be losing this game.

Also, thanks to zero I will be keeping half an eye on the sideline just in case by some miracle the cheerleaders get naked.

I'm looking for our O to wake up and play to their potential. For the D I'll be watching for improvement though out. IMO the key to winning is sacks and pressure on Cutler, secondly to control their running game.

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Some of the reason why we're afraid to get into tight man coverage is because of communication issues that turn into monster plays because someone is out of position. This horse has been thoroughly beaten, but Collins is sorely missed. I'm looking for communication to improve, the pass rush to be competent enough to keep silly boy Cutler rattled, and to do at least okay at bottling up the run. That's really all we need to win on the defensive side of the ball.

Also looking for an okay game from the refs. I don't mind them taking a bit longer to throw the flag or calling the wrong number out as long as they're not royally screwing up on a consistent basis... At the very least they were screwing both teams consistently in week one. Looking for some improvements in week two.