Every Tuesday I’ll take a look at the five biggest questions surrounding NFL teams for that week. In Week 14 I tackle the decimated Bears and their quarterback situation, the race in the NFC East and of course, the Tim Tebow-led Broncos.g

1. Which team will step up in the NFC East?
Last week I wrote that it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Cowboys choke with a golden opportunity to take a two-game lead over the Giants in the NFC East. They were on their way to Arizona to play a very beatable Cardinals team while New York hosted the undefeated Packers, so naturally the Cowboys lost (when Jason Garrett essentially froze his own kicker) and didn’t create more separation between them and the Giants. That’s okay though, because the Sunday Night Football tilt this week becomes an even bigger affair because if the Giants win, then things will be tied again in the division. It’s tough to know what to make of either team. The Cowboys are healthier and have a slew of explosive weapons on offense to exploit a banged up New York defense. But Dallas always seems to kill itself with dumb mistakes and penalties. For all intents and purposes, they should beat the Giants at home this weekend and build a two-game cushion with just three games left to play. But it’s always a crapshoot when it comes to the ‘Boys.

2. What will the Bears do at quarterback?
Following Caleb Hanie’s brutal performance against the Chiefs on Sunday and the injury that will sideline Matt Forte for the next 2-3 weeks (if not the rest of the regular season), the Bears are now entertaining the idea of signing a free agent quarterback. Donovan McNabb is available and Brett Favre seems ready to whore himself out again, but will Chicago actually pull the trigger? The terminology in Mike Martz’s system is supposedly hard to grasp in a short amount of time so it would appear as though Hanie is still the Bears’ best option under center. But Chicago can’t keep rolling him out there every Sunday only to watch him produce a field goal worth of offense. It would, at the very least, make sense to sign McNabb and see how much he can learn in a week. Maybe he can produce just enough points to win while the defense and Devin Hester does the rest. Nobody is saying McNabb is a shoe-in to save Chicago’s season but if the playoffs started today the Bears would own the fifth seed in the NFC. GM Jerry Angelo owes it to his team to at least see if he can catch lightning in a bottle.

3. Will the Broncos take control of their own destiny?
As noted in question No. 2, the Bears are in serious trouble. Not only is Jay Cutler out for the rest of the year, but Matt Forte won’t play this Sunday and might miss the remainder of the season as well. Caleb Hanie couldn’t generate more than a field goal last week against Kansas City, which has an underrated defense but zero offense. Denver has an even better defensive unit and an offense that has made clutch plays with the game on the line for the past four weeks. Thus, the Broncos should win this week at home against Chicago. But there are many people that are still waiting for the wheels to fall off the Tim Tebow joy ride. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Detroit traveled to Denver and absolutely harassed Tebow into huge mistakes in a blowout victory. The Bears still own a relenting defensive unit that’s capable of putting its beleaguered offense in good field position, or scoring themselves with opportunistic plays. Thus, it’s important for Denver to continue to take things one game at a time. With Oakland in Green Bay this Sunday taking on the undefeated Packers, the Broncos have a massive opportunity to control their own destiny from here on out with a victory over the Bears.

4. Which Wild Card hopefuls will start to emerge from the pack?
Outside of the Steelers who seemingly have the fifth seed in the AFC sewn up, there are a lot of flaws when you look at the Wild Card contenders in each conference. In the AFC, the Bengals were just trounced by the Steelers and still have to play the Ravens one more time. Although the Titans have won two in a row, they nearly lost to the hapless Bucs two weeks ago and host powerhouse New Orleans this Sunday. Miami proved last week that Oakland has a couple of underlying issues, namely its run defense and lack of explosives offensively. The Jets have experience making late-season runs but it’s hard to trust Mark Sanchez not to muck things up over these next four weeks. In the NFC, the Bears’ issues are well documented and the Lions look like a team ready to implode thanks to a lack of composure and injuries. The Falcons have more than enough talent on both sides of the ball to secure a postseason berth but their offense has been stuck in mud all season and if the Giants can’t beat the Cowboys this Sunday, then it’s hard envisioning them playing past Week 17. Will somebody please step up?

5. Can the Chargers get back into the AFC West race?
The focus in the AFC West has largely been on the Broncos and Raiders, which makes sense given how their odds of winning the division are the best among the four teams. But while everyone continues to analyze, dissect, and agonize how Tim Tebow continues to win despite usually only playing one quarter of good football, I have a sinking suspicion that the Chargers aren’t finished quite yet. Maybe that’s because we’ve seen Norv Turner’s teams underachieve before, only to swoop in during the final weeks and pull a postseason berth right out from under someone. Granted, it came against a decimated Jacksonville secondary but Turner’s offense was firing on all cylinders Monday night. For the first time in over a month Philip Rivers played with confidence and was making throws that he used to make on a weekly basis in 2010. Winning breads confidence and when a team plays with confidence it becomes dangerous. Given how the Chargers still have to play Baltimore, Detroit, and Oakland to finish out the season, it’s probably too little too late for Rivers and Co. But if their defense overachieves and the offense finally starts playing with some consistency, you never know how things will play out down the stretch.

If it weren’t for a Jets-Bills “shootout” I would have went 4-0 last Sunday. But seeing as how I’ve struggled all year with my NFL picks, I’m grateful for a 3-1 week. The Browns, Falcons and Broncos were my winners, while the under in the Jets-Bills contest was the lone loser. That puts me at 21-24-2 on the season.

Bengals @ Steelers, 1:00PM ET
If the Bengals lose today their playoff hopes certainly won’t be dashed. But if they can’t beat Pittsburgh or Baltimore in the regular season, what makes them think they can beat either team in the playoffs? Or beat New England in the playoffs, for that matter? The Bengals have the revenge factor on their side after the Steelers beat them just three weeks ago in Cincinnati and have played hard all season. I think the Bengals, at the very least, will keep things close today in the “Steel City.”
THE PICK: BENGALS +7

Falcons @ Texans, 1:00PM ET
With T.J. Yates under center and the Falcons on a mini-roll, Atlanta would seem like a great bet at -1. But the Falcons have a couple of injury issues that are worth noting. First and foremost, their top corner Brent Grimes is out following knee surgery and their starting nickel back Kelvin Hayden is out with a toe injury. Thus, the inexperienced Christopher Owens will start for Grimes and the extremely inexperienced Dominique Franks (a fifth-round pick from 2010) will fill in for Hayden at the nickel. Granted, even if I were starting at corner for Atlanta the Texans aren’t going to be throwing much with Yates. Houston will rely on its running game and defense to win this one and with Michael Turner and Julio Jones banged up, I like the Texans to pull off the small upset.
THE PICK: TEXANS +1

Chiefs @ Bears, 1:00PM ET
I was shocked when I saw the opening line for this game, which was Bears -9. The spread is down to 7, which makes more sense, but I still think it’s too high. I don’t trust Mike Martz to put Caleb Hanie in successful situations and furthermore, to revolve his offense around Matt Forte, which is what he should do. The Chiefs are extremely limited offensively with Tyler Palko under center but at least this will be his third consecutive game as the starter. He should be more comfortable and confident in his abilities and I expect Kansas City’s defense to keep this game close, just like it did last week versus Pittsburgh.
THE PICK: CHIEFS +7

Lions @ Saints, 8:20PM ET
This one could get ugly quickly. The best way to beat an elite quarterback like Drew Brees is to pressure him with your front four and then drop the back seven into coverage. That’s hard to do on its own and it gets to be an even bigger challenge for a team like Detroit that will be without its best defensive tackle in Ndamukong Suh. The Lions also have a slew of defensive backs out with injury and just don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Saints. I like New Orleans to roll.
THE PICK: SAINTS -9

Check out the most current NFL Football Betting odds.

What are some of the big questions heading into this week’s action in the NFL?

1. Can the Bears survive without Cutler?
In a word, yes. Remember, this was the same team that once went to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at the controls. They have a physical, unrelenting defense led by Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers, a star at running back in Matt Forte, and the most dangerous returner in the league in Devin Hester. But the biggest question is whether or not Mike Martz will adjust. Leopards don’t change their spots and Martz is a leopard thru and thru. If he wants to run his offense with Caleb Hanie the same as if Jay Cutler were under center then the Bears are going to die a very quick death. But if Martz relies on Forte and the running game and allows Chicago’s defense and special teams to win games, then there’s no reason the Bears can’t still make the playoffs with Hanie under center.

2. Can the Lions bring down the Pack?
This is the moment the Detroit Lions have been waiting for all season: To finally be able to punch the bully back. The Packers have been abusing the Lions for years but now Detroit is bigger, better and meaner. The way to beat any elite quarterback is to pressure him using only the front four because it allows a defense to drop the rest of its defenders into coverage. And thanks to guys like Ndamukong Suh, Willie Young and Cliff Avril, the Lions have one of the best pass rushes in the league. Aaron Rodgers will make plays; that’s just what he does. But the Lions certainly have the pass rushers to make his Thanksgiving a little uncomfortable if the secondary can hang with guys like Jordy Nelson in coverage. The biggest question is whether or not Matthew Stafford can avoid mistakes. Turnovers will kill the Lions but otherwise, they have the tools to slay the dragon. Now they just have to go out do it.

3. Can Leinart keep the Texans moving ahead?
The Texans own a two-game lead over the Titans in the AFC South but Matt Leinart hasn’t taken a snap in a regular season game since 2009. And when he did have his opportunities to start, he flubbed things up pretty good. But from Kurt Warner to Rich Gannon to Kerry Collins, there have been plenty of quarterbacks who prospered after first facing adversity in their careers. Leinart has first-round talent but. he wasn’t ready to lead in Arizona. That said, he’s older, wiser and hopefully more mature. Armed with a great running game and a defense playing at the top of its game, the Texans are playoff-ready. All Leinart has to do is manage games and not muck things up but can he do it?

4. Can Sanchez restore what little confidence he has?
The Bills are a wounded animal lying on the side of the road right now and all the Jets have to do is come by and put it out of its misery. But knowing Mark Sanchez, he’ll probably shoot the Bills in the leg and try to finish them off with a shovel, leaving his defense to clean up the mess. What? Sanchez has lost whatever confidence he once had and is playing not to lose. The Jets don’t need that right now. They need a leader to take charge and get them back to the playoffs because Rex Ryan’s defense is a Super Bowl-caliber unit. But this team doesn’t have a running game so it’s up to Sanchez to make plays with his arm. Thus far, he hasn’t shown the ability to do that on a consistent basis. Now is the time though. Again, Buffalo is finished. Fred Jackson is hurt and Ryan Fitzpatrick is an even bigger mess than Sanchez is right now. This is a perfect opportunity for Sanchez to right the ship and start playing with a little confidence.

5. Which Harbaugh has the better team?
All three Thanksgiving matchups bring something to do the table but the NFL Network may have saved the best for last. Jim vs. John makes for a nice fluffy storyline for the cable news networks (since fluff is all they are these days), but the real story is whether or not the 9-1 Niners can knock off the 7-3 Ravens playing a Baltimore-brand of football. San Francisco likes to pound the ball on the ground and play great defense, not unlike its counterpart on Thursday night. It’ll be interesting to see if the Niners’ stout defense can fluster Joe Flacco and the inconsistent Raven offense. Baltimore has a habit of playing up to its competition though, so this should be a great game throughout.

6. Can the Eagles get back into the playoff chase?
All the Giants had to do Sunday night was beat the Eagles and send them away but they couldn’t do it. Now Philly has a chance to get back into the NFC playoff picture with a win against the Patriots on Sunday because the Giants play in New Orleans on Monday and Dallas has a tough match against a red-hot Miami team on Thursday. Of course, beating Tom Brady is easier said than done. The Eagles’ defense looked great against Eli Manning and the Giants but they’ve been inconsistent all year. Also, if Michael Vick can’t play again will Vince Young be able to win two big games in a row? Young has always been good in small doses but the more a team leans on him, the more likely he’ll fall in the end. This will be a great matchup on Sunday evening.

As we approach kickoff for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, here are two factors (one for each team) that could potentially keep the Packers or Bears from reaching the Super Bowl.

Green Bay Packers: Special Teams
Against the Falcons last week, the Packers dominated two of the three main phases of the game (offense and defense) but lost the third (special teams). After tying the score 7-7 early in the second quarter, Eric Weems returned a 102-yard kickoff for a touchdown against Green Bay’s shaky kickoff coverage. In Week 12, it was Weems’ 40-yard kickoff return and subsequent facemask penalty on Matt Willhelm that helped put the Falcons in position to kick a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

In the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Pack, Devin Hester returned a punt 62 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, which gave Chicago a 14-10 lead with 14 minutes to play. If there’s one area of concern for the Packers heading into this weekend, it has to be their special teams. They’re allowing 38.9 yards per punt attempt this season, which ranks them 26th in the league in that category. Granted, they rank first in kickoff touchback percentage (4.23%), but Weems proved last week that their coverage unit is liable to give up a big play at any time. Hester is a game-changer; the Packers better be prepared.

Chicago Bears: The Mad Scientist
The Bears have a couple of concerns this weekend, which includes figuring out a way to defense a red-hot Aaron Rodgers and having a solid backup plan in case stout rookie J’Marcus Webb can’t stop the relentless Clay Matthews. But at least we know Chicago’s defense will be up to the task of slowing Rodgers and Webb has been one of the more pleasant surprises this year on the Bears’ O-line (and therefore might match up well with Matthews). It’s Mike Martz and his unpredictability that Chicago should be most concerned about.

Martz is one of the main reasons that the Bears have gotten this far. He’s remained more balanced this season than in years past and he’s playing to his personnel’s strengths. He knows that Jay Cutler has more success throwing short-to-intermediate passes than he does vertically, so he calls plays that suit his quarterback’s strengths. Sure, he still allows Cutler to take cracks downfield, but only when the time is right and the defense is vulnerable. Martz called a great game last Sunday against the Seahawks, but he also drew up a halfback pass with Matt Forte in the middle of the second half when all his team needed to do was run some clock. Forte threw an interception and for the first time all game, Seattle had life. That’s the kind of unnecessary risk-taking that has gotten Martz into trouble before and if he’s not careful, it could cost him this weekend against a better defensive mind like Dom Capers.

I haven’t done this column in a couple of weeks but after this weekend’s games, I thought it was an appropriate time to bring it back.

So here’s the latest installment of “I’m just saying…,” NFL Divisional Round-style.

- Colts fans after Nick Folk missed that chip shot field goal in the first quarter of the Jets-Patriots game on Sunday: “Oh come on!”

- After the Packers-Falcons game, I took a quick look at the stats sheet and saw that Aaron Rodgers was 31-of-36 passing for 366 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. My first reaction was: He had five incompletions?!

- Hey, when your team is up 25 points late in the third quarter and all you need to do is run some clock, why wouldn’t you call a halfback pass with Matt Forte and risk turning the ball over? You keep doing your thing, Mike Martz.

- Rex Ryan just beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady (two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history) in back-to-back weeks using two different game plans. Say what you want about his mouth, but the guy knows defense.

- If I’m a team that needs a defensive coordinator, I’m on the phone right now with Rob Ryan. I want that gene pool designing my defenses.

- Most defenders would sacrifice one of their limbs to have a free shot at Jay Cutler when he’s running with the ball towards the end zone. But instead of delivering a punishing blow, Seattle safety Earl Thomas tried to bring the quarterback down by osmosis on Cutler’s touchdown run in the second quarter on Sunday. Somewhere, Ndamukong Suh is weeping.

- Matt Ryan after the game on why he threw the sideline pass that Tramon Williams intercepted and returned for a touchdown instead of throwing the ball away: “Well, I thought if Williams was anything like our corners, he would be playing 10 yards off the ball and I’d be able to pick up an easy seven yards.”

- I know where I’ve seen Bears’ O-lineman Frank Omiyale before: he doubles as a turnstile at Halas Hall during the weekdays.

- Hey Bill Belichick, great game plan. You were successful all season using your tight ends and you decide to mix things up and challenge Darrelle Revis (the best cornerback in the league) in the biggest game of the year. Talk about one of your all-time backfires.

- That was a bad time for a rare fumble, Ray Rice.

- Since the Giants shocked the Patriots in the Super Bowl, New England is 0-2 in the postseason and was knocked out in the first game both times. There’s no reason to doubt the combination of Belichick and Brady but even they have to be saying to themselves, “What the f*&k just happened here?”

- It may not have looked like it to the causal fan, but Atlanta’s defensive game plan actually worked against Green Bay. The Falcons wanted to limit the big play, which is exactly what they did. The Packers’ offensive touchdowns only came from 6 yards, 1 yard, 20 yards, 7 yards and 7 yards out. See, no big plays.

- I hope Mike Williams didn’t forget his purse before leaving Solider Field on Sunday. The guy may have caught two touchdown passes in garbage time, but for the most part he wanted nothing to do with running routes, catching passes or generally trying to help his team win. A stiff breeze could have knocked him off his route.

- Hey Housh, you can’t complain about your role in the Ravens’ offense and then have a perfectly thrown Joe Flacco pass go off your facemask on a pivotal fourth down in crunch time.

- Aaron Rodgers shredded the Falcons in Week 12 when they only rushed three down linemen and sat back in zone. So it made perfect sense that Atlanta defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder would use that same approach for most of the first half as Rodgers picked apart his defense again. You can’t pay enough for that type of game planning.

- Hey Wes Welker, this is why Bill Belichick wanted you to shut your mouth and not respond to any of the Jets’ antics. There was no need to encourage the Jets to back their coach even more than they already do.

- Anquan Boldin did everything right this year for the Ravens except catch that pass at the goal line late in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Talk about a momentum swing.

- Hey Mike Smith, you might want to look up the term “MartyBall” before your next postseason game.

- Lawyer Milloy reminded everyone on that Greg Olsen touchdown pass in the first quarter that he’ll never be remembered for his coverage skills.

- You stay classy Braylon Edwards. Here’s hoping you don’t snap your femur trying to land one of those back flips.

- Speaking of Braylon Edwards, the Browns selected him third overall in the 2005 draft instead of Aaron Rodgers. Good call.

- Of course, the Browns weren’t the only team to pass on Rodgers in that draft. Think the Titans would have selected Rodgers over Pacman Jones if they were given a re-do? Or how about the Vikings: they had two chances to draft Rodgers at No. 7 and No. 18 and instead selected Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. Those two turned out well.

I’m just saying…

Here are five thoughts on the Bears’ impressive 35-24 victory over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round on Sunday.

1. What inexperience?
Jay Cutler did Sunday what Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan couldn’t this weekend: Elevate his game when it mattered most. For all the talk about his lack of postseason experience, Cutler played like a 10-year playoff veteran on Sunday. He set the tone early with a picture-perfect 58-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen on the Bears’ third offensive play from scrimmage and then showed pure grit and determination on his 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. On the day, he was 15-of-28 passing for 274 yards with four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and zero interceptions (although he came close to throwing a couple of picks, including one at the goal line). Cutler has really put a lot of his past troubles behind him and deserves praise for his unflappable play on Sunday. He was highly impressive.

2. Cutler also got a lot of help from his offensive line.
The Bears’ O-line has taken a lot of heat for its play over the last couple of years, and deservedly so. But they’ve been a transformed unit since midway through the season and a lot of credit goes to Mike Tice and Lovie Smith for moving guys around to better match their strengths (and quite frankly, hide their weaknesses, too). Cutler was excellent but he also had plenty of time to survey the field and pick apart Seattle’s overmatched secondary. His front five did an outstanding job swallowing the Seahawks’ pass-rushers and keeping them out of the backfield.

3. That’s Bear defense right there.
The final score doesn’t do the Bears justice. Their defense played out of its mind for three quarters and that’s about as aggressive as I’ve seen Chicago’s secondary play all season. Unlike other teams who like to play their corners 10 yards off the ball and give opponents easy yards via slants and screens, the Bears’ DBs suffocated Seattle’s wideouts all afternoon. Granted, nobody outside of Brandon Stokley fought back, but credit still goes to the Bears’ corners for bringing the fight to them right from the start. Once again, Julius Peppers failed to record a sack but he got pressure on Hasselbeck all day. You have to focus on him to really appreciate what he does for that defense. He helped paved the way for fellow linemen like Tommie Harris, who did rack up two sacks. Without a doubt, J-Pepp was worth the money the Bears spent this offseason.

4. Martz should still scare the bejesus out of Bear fans.
It makes sense that Mike Martz would attempt a halfback pass when his team was up 28-3 and in complete control of the game early in the fourth quarter. I mean, when all you need to do is run out the clock and put a bow on that sucker, the right decision is to have Matt Forte take a direct snap on a 1st and 10 from your own 43-yard-line and attempt a pass. The pure fact that Forte threw the ball right to Aaron Curry (who returned the gift to Chicago’s 33-yard-line to set up Seattle’s first touchdown) was a pure fluke.

All kidding aside, that’s the crap that Martz has been criticized for in the past and needs to stop. I’m sure Forte was instructed to run the ball if a receiver wasn’t wide open and a defender wasn’t within 20 yards, but why even call that play? The only reason the Seahawks even had a field goal at that point was because of a great kickoff return. Just stay the course next time, Martz. But to be fair, he really did call a great game. The play action pass to Kellen Davis late in the fourth quarter was outstanding.

5. The Seahawks were who we thought they were.
The Seahawks gave football fans an upset for the ages last weekend, but they once again looked like a different team on the road. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story, because this team was dominated on Sunday. Hasselbeck played pretty well, but Chicago’s front seven owned Seattle’s O-line and his receivers dropped way too many passes. I know he wound up reaching the end zone at the end of the game, but Charles Tillman absolutely abused Mike Williams, who clearly wanted nothing to do with running routes, catching passes or trying to help his team win. Hopefully he remembered his purse when he cleaned out his locker following the game. He wasn’t the only one who played like he still had a hangover from last week, either. Most defenders would love to have a clean shot at a quarterback when he’s running, but safety Earl Thomas tried to arm tackle Cutler in the second quarter and the Bears’ signal caller muscled his way into the end zone. When the Bears got up 14-0, Seattle’s defense packed it in. And hey, who could blame them? They were on the field for the entire first half because their offense was trying to see if it could set the record for most three-and-outs in a single game. I’d like to personally thank the Falcons and Seahawks for sucking all the life out of these playoffs.

6. The media gets the match up it craved.
At the start of the postseason, the media wanted one of two matchups for the NFC Championship Game: Michael Vick vs. his former team in Atlanta or Packers-Bears in Chicago. And as soon as Tramon Williams intercepted Vick last Sunday in Philadelphia, most of the media turned into Cheeseheads. Well, thanks to the Falcons and Seahawks giving the Packers and Bears a couple of free wins this weekend, ESPN can blow their load talking about this Green Bay-Chicago matchup for the next six days. Just think, if the Bears would have done their jobs and finished off Green Bay in Week 17, they wouldn’t have to worry about trying to defend a red-hot Packers team next weekend. (Sorry if I sounded like a bitter Falcons fan in this last point. It’s probably because I’m a bitter Falcons fan who had to watch my team get steamrolled by the juggernaut that is the Green Bay Aaron Rodgers.)

Matchup: Seahawks (8-9) @ Bears (11-5)
Kickoff: 1:00PM ET, Sunday

1. Will inconsistency doom the Seahawks again?
There have been seven separate occasions this year when the Seahawks have played at home and then gone on the road the following week. In those seven games, they went 0-7 and lost by an average margin of 23.6 points. Last week the Hawks played at home and pulled off the upset of the year by knocking off the defending champs. But they won’t have home field advantage or the element of surprise this week when they travel to Solider Field. Can Seattle finally put together back-to-back solid performances and pull off another upset? Or will their issues with consistency burn them again?

2. How will Cutler play in his first-ever postseason game?
The Seahawks do have one distinct advantage over the Bears this weekend, which is that their quarterback has postseason experience and Chicago’s doesn’t. Matt Hasselbeck has played in a Super Bowl. Before this season, Jay Cutler never had a winning seasons at either the college or pro level. Will his lack of inexperience cost the Bears this Sunday or will he rise to the challenge like he did against the Eagles and Jets earlier this year? Seattle ranks 29th in total defense and 30th against the pass. This is a unit that Cutler has to torch. He can’t throw three interceptions and have Devin Hester and his defense bail him out. He’s had a great season but now is the time to elevate his game.

3. Will the Seahawks kick to Hester?
The answer to this question should be no, but sometimes special teams coaches and punters think that they’re smarter than everyone and kick to him anyway. If he gets an opportunity to return a punt, it’s not a question of “if” he’ll put the Bears in good field position but, “at what yard line are the Bears going to start in their opponent’s territory?” Brian Schneider has a tough job this week in trying to figure out a way to neutralize Hester the best he can. If it were me, I’d be telling punter Jon Ryan to get as much distance on the kick as possible but to make sure the ball eventually lands out of bounds. There’s no reason to give Hester a chance to return the ball, even for a team like Seattle, which has had good special teams play this season.

4. Will Martz stay balanced?
This is right around the time of year when Mike Martz wants to go back to proving to people how smart he is. But he must keep his offense balanced. Following back-to-back losses to the Seahawks and Redskins in Weeks 6-7, Lovie Smith tightened the reins on Martz during the Bears’ Week 8 bye. The team also shuffled its offensive line around to take advantage of his personnel’s strengths and hide their weaknesses. The result was a six-game winning streak for Chicago, which only ended when the Bears ran into the buzz saw that is the New England Patriots. Martz is a better playcaller when his offense remains balanced. Cutler is a better quarterback when Matt Forte runs the ball more than six times a game. Now isn’t the time for Martz to go off script: he needs to stick to the game plan and to continue feeding Forte in order to keep defense’s on their heels. There’s also no need to try to throw vertical every down when Cutler is more efficient throwing short-to-intermediate passes. Even though they’re playing a Seattle team that only won seven games this season, the Bears still need to be at their best, and that includes Martz.

5. Can Seattle attack Chicago’s weakness?
The Bears rank 10th in total defense, second in rushing defense and fourth in scoring. But if there’s one area where they can be attacked it’s in the secondary. The Bears have given up an average of 224.2 yards per game through the air this season, which ranks them 21st in the league in that category. That said, they’re actually pretty good defending the deep pass. They’ve only allowed nine pass plays of 30-plus yards this season, which leads the NFC. But Hasselbeck actually fared well against Chicago earlier this season while completing 4 of 7 passes for 85 yards with one touchdown and a 139.9 rating on throws traveling at least 15 yards. Hasselbeck understands the Tampa 2 defense that Chicago runs better than any quarterback in the league because he has loads of experience and has played against that scheme many times before. The Bears may humiliate inexperienced quarterbacks, but chances are Hasselbeck will hold his own this Sunday. But can his offensive line protect him from Chicago’s nasty front seven? And can he beat the Bears without the threat of a running game?