The Colts have lost five straight preseason games but that doesn’t concern coach Chuck Pagano. So, don’t read too much into Indy’s loss last week. Several regulars sat out and the team was more concerned with reps than winning a game against a team and offensive scheme it won’t face during the regular season.
ODDS
The Colts have lost five straight preseason games and are just 6-7 ATS under coach Pagano. They opened a 3-point favorite against the Bears at home with a total of 41.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Chicago’s first team offense was ineffective in its preseason opener with Jay Cutler going 4 for 7 for just 42 yards. His two drives resulted in a punt and Robbie Gould field goal. Cutler should see more reps as the Bears attempt to find some cohesion with its group of starters. Chicago used just two quarterbacks last week with backup Jimmy Clausen finishing the night 17 for 27 for 151 yards as the Bears scored 24 second half points to get the win. Third-stringer David Fales was removed from the non-football injury list and returned to practice this week. It’s unknown if he is caught up on learning the playbook enough to see any action Saturday.
Andrew Luck exited after 11 snaps in the Colts’ opener last week, finishing the day 5 of 6 for 43 yards, with his lone incompletion being a drop. He worked that game without several regulars and will get a few more reps with the starters in the lineup this week. He played four series in last year’s second preseason game before getting lifted for backup Matt Hasselbeck. Bryan Bennett, the third quarterback on the Colts roster, didn’t see action last week and should get a few fourth quarter reps against the Bears.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
John Fox has his work cut out for him in his first year as the Bears head coach, but it’s a familiar situation for him. When he took his first head coaching job in 2002 with Carolina, the Panthers were coming off a 1-15 season. Fox had them playing in the Super Bowl two seasons later. His mantra then remains the same now with Chicago: Trust the process. In a quest to stimulate belief within his players and when the inevitable struggles of a team in a rebuilding mode seem discouraging, Fox continually emphasizes his three-word order. The saying “trust the process” is to remind his players of the big picture and that 5-11 teams don’t magically transform overnight. The process has worked for Fox, who hasn’t had a losing preseason since 2010 and is 29-24 overall in exhibition games.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“In a lot of ways it’s having an attitude, a mentality. How are we going to attack this practice? How are we going to attack the game? Coach Fox and this staff do a great job of putting the emphasis on the things that can be momentum-changers.” – Bears safety Antrel Rolle
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Chicago’s porous defense from a season ago has created many openings for position battles this preseason. The Bears new 3-4 alignment under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has brought a lot of attention to the linebackers. Christian Jones surprised many last year as an undrafted free agent and has surpassed 2013 second-round pick Jonathan Bostic on the depth chart. Is that enough to motivate Bostic into reclaiming the spot? Also, rookie Adrian Amos has supplanted Brock Vereen, who struggled last week against the Dolphins, at free safety and will start Saturday against the Colts.
INJURIES
The Bears got some bad news when seventh-round pick receiver Kevin White had a setback and will be lost for a significant amount of time having to undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his left shin. Alshon Jeffery will not play Saturday as he continues to nurse a calf strain and the Bears will take no chances already down a projected top receiver in White.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Colts sat a number of regulars who are expected to be major contributors once the regular season gets underway in last week’s loss. They will have many of those guys in the lineup against a Bears team that struggled in the first half with its starters in the game. Chicago still has some holes to fill, especially on defense, and will likely spend the game evaluating its linebackers and defensive backfield. That should open up some passing lanes for Andrew Luck in the short time he’s expected to play.
Indianapolis 26, Chicago 22
The NFL betting lines for this Saturday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Colts were positioned as 3-point favorites with a total of 41. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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