NFL Chicago BearsMiami Dolphins

Predicting The Final Score of Dolphins vs. Bears

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The 3-3 Chicago Bears will welcome the 2-3 Miami Dolphins to Soldier Field on Sunday. The Bears’ next two games are difficult as they go on the road to face the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, so it’s critical that Marc Trestman keeps the players focused on the task at hand and not to look ahead.

The Dolphins are coming off a heartbreaking loss last week to Green Bay, tasting victory until Aaron Rodgers ripped their hearts out and stomped on it. This is the first in a stretch for Miami where they have five of their next seven on the road. This stretch is going to show if the Dolphins are ready to take the next step as a playoff contender or continue to toil in 6-10 obscurity.

This game is also important for Chicago. If the Bears are victorious, a two-game losing streak to New England and Green Bay isn’t the end of the world, the Bears could have a 4-5 record and with a significantly easier second half, the Bears could get hot and make a run at the playoffs. However, if they stumble and lose to Miami and happen to lose both upcoming road games, there is no recovering from a 3-6 record.

The Bears’ defense continues to improve, and one would hope they should be in position to have their best performance of the season against a Miami offense that is average at best. The Dolphins like to run the ball and will try to do so against a Chicago defensive front that has played well, sitting in the top 10 in stopping the run and sacking the quarterback.

Expect the Bears’ defensive front to have another strong day, neutralizing the Dolphins’ rushing attack and putting regular pressure on Ryan Tannehill.

The Dolphins’ offense is the epitome of average. Tannehill has yet to prove if he is anything more than a backup masquerading as a starter, and the Dolphins’ running game takes a hit with Knowshon Moreno out for the year with a torn ACL. Lamar Miller is a solid back and Mike Wallace is still a playmaker — if Tannehill puts him in a position to succeed.

Offensively for Chicago, Jay Cutler will look to continue to play at a high level. Cutler was superb against a weak Atlanta Falcons defense and although the Miami defense is better, they aren’t exactly superb either. If Cutler plays like he can, he should be able to control the game like he can.

The Dolphins won’t be a cakewalk for the Bears. They beat the Patriots in Week 1, and nearly took out the Packers last week. They will play for a full 60 minutes and won’t go away quietly. The key, as it always is for the Bears, is to take care of the football and not turn it over. Fortunately for Chicago, the Dolphins don’t cause a lot of turnovers, so if the Bears hold onto the football, they should find themselves victorious.

I think a lot of people in Chicago are expecting a trouncing of Miami, and while I expect the Bears to win, this is going to be anybody’s game in the fourth quarter. The Bears will cling to a field goal lead, but Cutler will ice the win with a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass.

Final score prediction: Bears 27, Dolphins 17

Bill Zimmerman is a Chicago Bears writer for www.RantSports.Com. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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