Washington Redskins vs. Chicago Bears: NFL Free Picks

At 3-3, the Redskins are only a game back in the NFC East and are still definitely players for the NFC Wild Card slots as well. However, the argument could be made that this team really has only played one truly solid game all season long, that being the 17-12 win against the Philadelphia Eagles on the road. QB Donovan McNabb, a Chicago native, has done his part, but his numbers really just aren’t there. McNabb has thrown for 1,561 yards so far in six games, but he only has five TD passes and has yet to toss more than one score in a game. To make matters worse, his top back, RB Clinton Portis is still out of the lineup, which is leaving RB Ryan Torain to tote the rock by himself. Now, we know that Torain just had his first career 100 yard rushing game last week against the Indianapolis Colts, but we also know that this is a very difficult spot for him to be in, playing on the road against a team with a stout rush defense.

And then, there are the Bears… This is clearly a 4-2 team in name only right now. Just because they beat the Dallas Cowboys on the road, everyone suddenly thinks that this is a team to be reckoned with. Unfortunately though, the swoon is coming, whether it starts this Sunday or not. Chicago really has no semblance of a rushing game, as blocking for RB Matt Forte seems to be a crime in the Windy City. Forte has only had one game this year in which he averaged more than three yards per carry, and because of that, his numbers look remotely acceptable for the season. However, we know better. We also know that QB Jay Cutler is still a farce, and it’s only a matter of time until Chicago wants to permanently go in a different direction. The former Vanderbilt Commodores standout has only played in a shade over four games this season, so there’s no shame in the fact that he has thrown for 1,202 yards. Even his three picks on the year is significantly down from his horrendous 27 INT year of 2009. However, Cutler is coming off of a game in which he completed just 43.6 percent of his passes, and the natives are once again getting restless at Soldier Field. One or two bad plays will really once again get the hometown crowd turned against him.

The Bears might be the better team in this game, but we use the term “might” very loosely. The Redskins aren’t quite for real, but knowing how volatile this situation could get in Chicago, we have no choice but to back the visitors and the points.