Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw 68 percent of his passes this season out of three- and four-wide receiver sets. That means the key for the Bears' defense could be the nickel defense, when cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. replaces linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer in the secondary and pass-rushers line up across the front four.
I'm all for having Ricky Manning Jr. on the field as much as possible. He does have a nose for the ball. This article is about how the Bears defend against the Hawks spread offense.
1 Keep linebacker Lance Briggs on the field even with four WRs.
Most teams add a sixth defensive back and use dime coverage. But coach Lovie Smith said in October that no defense is better with Briggs on the sideline and nothing has changed. Briggs had a team-high 10 tackles Oct. 1 and played well in space. With tight end Jerramy Stevens playing this time, Briggs could be challenged more, which makes it more important for him to stay in the game.