Why Jay Cutler Will be Under Pressure Thursday

Our pass defense was horrible last year largely because of our inability to rush the passer. With four sacks in our week one matchup, we’ve got a chance to fix that problem. I believe we’ll continue to get after the quarterback in week two because of the following reasons:

1. Clay Matthews looked to be in mid-season form on Sunday. He was flying around with reckless abandon and looked like his old, psycho self. He fights so hard that his body tends to get nicked up as the season progresses. He is, in fact, the one and only player that the Packers' equipment manager brings an extra helmet for every game, since he breaks his own so often. As for right now he appears to be completely healthy, and is a force to be reckoned with for sure.

2. The tandem opposite Matthews WILL require some attention. Nick Perry has shown, if nothing else, a forceful bull rush. He has pushed more than one left tackle straight back into their quarterback in his preseason and regular season action. His speed moves have not looked too sharp just yet, but that could develop over time. Erik Walden is back from his one game suspension this week, and will spell Perry for what I believe will be a significant number of snaps. Walden had his best game as a pro against the Bears in week 17 of 2010, when he recorded three sacks, including a bone crusher on the first play of the game. He cannot cover in space, but I guarantee he'll get after the quarterback. The fact that these two will be splitting snaps means they'll both be fresh when they're on the field, and they'll likely face single man protection with Matthews on the other side. Look for one or both of these dudes to record a sack.

3. Charles Woodson WILL be blitzing from the safety and slot positions. I'll be tallying the number of times Wood is sent on a blitz for the rest of the season, because it seems like he gets home nearly every single time. He recorded 1.5 sacks last week, and has had success blitzing against the Bears in the past. Now I'm not saying I want Woodson blitzing seven, eight, nine times a game (since he's way more valuable as a ball hawk in coverage), but god damn is he effective two, three, four times a game. Oh and when he does get to the cube, he's not just looking to tackle him, he wants the ball too.

4. Last and far from least, the Bears offensive line is fucked. These guys suck. For real. I mean seriously. J'Marcus Webb is one of the worst left tackles in the league, and right tackle Gabe Carimi (though highly drafted and a fan favorite from his days at Wisconsin) has played a total of seven quarters of professional football. You're telling me he's ready to block a healthy Clay Matthews?! Yeah fucking right.

 If we can do a decent job against the run, and force them into third and long a few times, we should be able to make some big plays. Now pressure on the quarterback doesn't necessarily equate to a win, the offense needs to do their job as well. Aaron Rodgers has played some of his worst football against the Bears, who will continue to use two safeties over the top to limit the number of deep ball opportunities. Attacking downfield is in Rodgers' DNA, so he'll need to use discretion in taking what's given to him and being a little more patient. That being said, putting Jay Cutler on his ass will go a long way towards a W on Thursday.