Bears Blitz

Published by Tim Daniels on October 19, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

It’s only the seventh week of the NFL season and some teams are already fighting for their playoff lives. When you only have 16 games to sink or swim, a couple losses in a row can serve as a deathblow to your season. With that in mind, here are three NFC teams already facing must-win situations in Week .

Washington Redskins

The Redskins are a team in turmoil after the removal of Rex Grossman from his starting quarterback role. Grossman’s production dropped off severely following a strong start against the New York Giants in the season opener. John Beck, who flamed out in Miami, will replace the former Bears QB.

Even without consistent output from its offense, Washington has been able to win three games thanks to strong play on defense. The unit ranks third in points allowed and sixth in yards allowed. Brian Orakpo leads a front seven with five guys that have at least two sacks.

They travel to Bank of America Stadium to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. Even though the Panthers are 1-5, Cam Newton makes them a dangerous team to play. There will be no less than seven teams battling for two NFC wild card spots, so Washington needs to keep pace with a win.

Chicago Bears

Chicago hasn’t suffered a bad loss (New Orleans, Green Bay, Detroit), but will eventually need to beat a couple elite teams in order to make a return to the playoffs. They have the chance to get one win like that against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

In an interesting twist of fate, it’s the Bears offense that has been keeping the team afloat while the defense has struggled. Matt Forte, who leads the team in both rushing and receiving, has been on a mission as he seeks out a new contract.

The Bears defense just hasn’t been good enough, though. The once impenetrable unit is allowing nearly 400 yards per game, including 121 on the ground (30 more than last season). And since they aren’t forcing many turnovers to offset the yardage, there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Dallas Cowboys

America’s most scrutinized team begins a stretch of winnable games against the St. Louis Rams (0-5) on Sunday. They are still playoff contenders despite being below .500 through five games, but can’t afford any more losing streaks.

DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice need to step up with Felix Jones out of commission due to injury once again. While Tony Romo leads a potent passing attack, it won’t be as effective without a running game to take a little pressure off his wide receivers.

There are no less than seven wins available on the schedule for Dallas, but they most avoid the lapses in concentration that have gotten the better of them in the past. If the Cowboys play up to their potential and avoid any more major injuries, a long winning streak is certainly possible starting against St. Louis.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com